From Heaven to Hell
by Jouaient
Summary: SS. Syaoran was engaged to a princess who he only met once but greatly disliked. On the second meeting he fell but the girl who stole his heart was not the princess herself but a commoner Sakura who switched places with her. RR!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to Clamp.

_This chapter has been modified as of March 2008. Enjoy!_

**Summary: **SS. Syaoran was engaged to a princess who he met only once but greatly disliked. After the second meeting, feelings changed. He fell in love completely oblivious to that fact that it was not the real princess but a commoner named Sakura. RR!

**From Heaven to Hell ****– **Chapter 1

"Sakura?" a girl called out.

She knocked on the decrepit door and waited, but no audible movement was made inside the room; she frowned. With a haste push the wooden barrier was moved out of her away. There was a bed in front of her, and when the moving lump on the mattress moved, causing a soft creaking noise, she smiled. "Sakura-chan," she said again as she sat down at the edge of the bed. The blob of auburn hair she spoke to snuggled deeper under the covers. A moment of silence passed before the face emerged.

As recalcitrant as her sleepy eyes may have been, Sakura willed them to open anyway. "Good morning," she said with a smile. It soon disappeared, however, when she noted the silence in the house. She sat up and asked, "Where is everyone?"

"They've left already," her cousin and best friend, Tomoyo Daidouji, said gently and helped the wobbly Sakura to stand up. "We'd better get going if we don't want to miss anything."

"Okay, just a minute," Sakura nodded and went to change. She sat down in front of the mirror next to her bed and picked up her brush. _I need to look good_, she thought, sighing. It was just another Sunday morning – a very quiet Sunday morning.

Growing up in a big family wasn't hard, but not having your real parents to be there for you was something Sakura had to face for the past thirteen years. Though she never met her father, she heard many things about him from her brother, Touya – great things, in fact. Their mother died from a disease and it was then that Sonomi, their aunt, adopted them. Sakura did not mind living with others for the most part, and since her new family was related to her, there wasn't much to complain about. Besides, Sakura was never the one to whine. Sonomi took care of her as if she was her own daughter; despite the lack of money, she still did all she could to raise her and her brother, along with her own kids, up properly.

Now at the age of 18, Sakura could legally work. Everyday, she would go with Tomoyo and help Sonomi with their small yet steady business at the market. That day, however, the market had shut down, the roads had been cleared, and all the folks readied themselves to welcome the beloved princess, who was touring the kingdom. Their town was the last stop of the tour before she headed back to the castle. Royalty seldom stop by the serene village and it was a _huge _deal.

"I'm ready!" Sakura said and ran down the steps. The two of them went out to find the roads deserted and decided that everyone was waiting at the gates.

"Come on, let's go," Tomoyo urged. Grabbing Sakura by the hand, she pulled her excitedly towards the crowd of people they soon spotted bundled around the entrance to their village.

"Are we late?" Sakura asked as they squeezed their way through the cheering people and made it to the front.

The stately carriage was there; beside it, Princess Aishi was addressing the people. Everyone's heart was at his or her throat as the princess opened her mouth and began to speak. Sakura tapped an old man near her on the shoulder and asked for an update. Apparently, Her Highness wanted to take someone with her back to the castle. That fortunate soul would get the chance to witness her beauty. Rumor has it that no one from outside the castle has ever seen her whole face before. Princess Aishi was the maiden with a comely hat, whose brim cast a shadow that covered her eyes, sitting upon her head; she was recognized as the most mysterious princess in history. Even the guards that protect her didn't know what she looked like. Bored old housewives with nothing else better to do with their lives would often gossip about her. At the market, Sakura would hear impossible things regarding the princess's looks as villagers talked while picking out their tomatoes and broccoli.

At times Sakura and Tomoyo would draw their versions of Princess Aishi's face for fun. They would then show it to Tomoyo's little cousins and ask them to vote whose drawing was better. Tomoyo would jokingly make Aishi really ugly while Sakura would always make her beautiful; Tomoyo's argument was that no matter how pretty the princess was, she would be no match for her "adorable Sakura-chan." To overthrow Sakura's belief that all princesses were gorgeous, Tomoyo had made it her goal to get a chance and see Aishi. Once Tomoyo planned an evil scheme to throw a candle onto the hat and set it on fire, but Sakura popped her balloon of hope by pointing out the fact that the fire might burn all of the princess's hair.

"Oh I'm so nervous!" Tomoyo whispered and tightened her grip on Sakura's hand which she had grabbed the moment she saw the princess.

"Don't worry," Sakura mumbled.

"Yeah, but what if I get picked?" she asked.

"That's what you wanted, right?"

"I know but… what if – what if…?"

"If that happens, it'll be fine! It'll be an amazing experience. "

"No, it's not that… it's just… okay, what if she _is_ cute and prettier than you, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo looked at her "earnestly."

"Um," Sakura sighed. _Not this again! _She thought. Tomoyo giggled and turned her attention back to the center of the crowd.

"Would everyone quiet down, please," one of the guards in the front shouted with his brittle voice. A gust of silence whooshed through the crowd and all the eyes, twinkling like ripples that glistened under the sunlight, were fixed on him. "Good. Now, the princess has made her choice and the one who has been blessed with this glorious opportunity will be…"

"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura whispered and patted her dear cousin when she saw her bite her bottom lip. For a moment the crowd held its breath; behind them, in a corner of a street, a chicken set its wrath free upon a miserable little cricket – it gulped, and so did the people.

"…it will be you!" the guard's voice crescendoed. At the same time the volume of his voice reached its apex, the guard used his finger and pointed into the crowd. It was a quick jab, and all the attention immediately flew to the chosen one: Sakura.

"Me?" she exclaimed, her jaw hanging slightly. Tomoyo squealed with happiness.

"Yes, _you_," the guard said with sarcasm, mocking her surprised tone.

The princess waved her hand at him, telling him to stop the rudeness; he complied. Jumping down in a swift and light motion, he started in Sakura's direction. Gasps and whispers broke out in the crowd again as she was lead slowly by the guard towards the carriage. The fact that the princess had chosen a girl to meet her boiled the people's curiosity. _This will be remembered by everyone! _Tomoyo thought and beamed, her eyes never leaving Sakura.

_Stay calm, Sakura. Augh, I just know I'll trip and fall, _thought Sakura, as she got closer and closer to the carriage. The princess had already gone in after a cursory good-bye to the villagers._Oh what am I thinking?! Okay…I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…._ Sakura took a deep breath and looked back. Tomoyo gave her a double thumbs-up and she couldn't help but smile. _I _will_ do this._

"You will be allowed to return whenever you wish. Now," the guard said – she was quite amazed at how big that guy was, "please go in."

"Y-yes, sir…" Sakura murmured anxiously and tumbled in. She winced. _Why, feet?_

She sat down right across from the princess, who was studying her with her finger tapping her chin. It was proper to assume that the princess was interested. Sakura's heart was in her mouth like a candy so sour that she wanted to spit out but couldn't and the word "relax" was almost erased from her dictionary. Sakura tilted her head the left and attempted to act as normal as she could as she was trying to see the princess's eyes. Then, all of a sudden, she felt as if a ghost had pierced through her body. Princess Aishi held her head up slightly higher and allowed the sun light to glaze the rest of her face. The shocking emerald green met Sakura's own; annoying goose bumps sprang up as shivers ran down her body from head to toe. It went by too fast. Sakura was too mesmerized by the sight of her eyes that she never got to look at Aishi's face as a whole. When she snapped out of her phase Aishi had turned her face towards the window and began waving at the people.

Cheers followed the carriage as it finished up the tour around the town – cheers for both Sakura and the princess. "Your town is very beautiful," Aishi said softly, still looking out at the window. Indeed, it was an amazing sight. They were now crossing the dandelion field on the hill. The brilliant and vivid yellow stung Sakura's eyes and she closed her eyes; the image of thousands of little fluffs flying in the air when the wind blows by in the autumn painted itself in her mind.

"I-it is, yeah," she gulped and looked up. _She is a little _too _calm, _she cried out desperately inside and smiled weakly as the princess turned to face her once more.

"There is no need to feel afraid," she whispered.

"Oh, no, of course not!" Sakura nodded like mad. _That's what you think._

"We will arrive at the castle shortly," Aishi began. "I hope you will enjoy your time stay. I really do."

The reassuring tone in her voice bothered Sakura. Sakura sat up a bit straighter. To her, it would be easier to communicate if she made eye contact. "Princess," she said and Aishi nodded as a sign for her to proceed. "Is there something wrong?"

There was an inkling of surprise in her following expression but it quickly went away. She straightened her dress and said, "Before I reveal anything, tell me your name."

"It's Sakura, Your Highness," replied Sakura. "Kinomoto Sakura."

"Kinomoto…" whispered the princess. She seemed to be in deep thought. _Reveal?_ Sakura questioned. _Something is definitely up._

"Sakura, I need your help," Aishi continued. "But we have to wait until we've reached the castle."

She turned her face a bit to the left to look out the window, and the sunlight was reflected in her eyes. There was still some shadow preventing Sakura from seeing the whole face, but the similarity between the princess's eyes and her eyes haunted her. Sakura shook her head and decided to gaze out the other window; she gasped. She quickly moved to the other end of the seat and poked her head out. The castle loomed ahead.

Sakura followed the princess's instructions and put on a silk scarf before stepping out of the carriage. It was an odd request, but you never know what being locked in a big cage like the castle for a long time will make you do. People dressed in uniforms greeted them; some castle maids were throwing confetti. Any random person who passes them bowed. _Wow, this is awkwardly nice,_ Sakura thought, blushing at the attention and respect she got for walking with the princess. She felt like a trophy being passed around. _Too bad they can't see me smile_, she slouched a little and pouted behind the scarf. _How long do I have to keep this thing on?_

They walked into the grand hall and she looked up. The celling was a painting of the heaven with angels and a beautiful crystal chandelier hung in the middle. _I wonder how they clean it. . .they can't possibly keep it so clean without washing it or something. . .ugh, why am I thinking about these stupid things?_ Sakura punched her head lightly; a passing butler-looking person raised his eyebrows. She looked around and saw that everything had a lion symbol on it. Noticing that she was falling behind, she jogged a bit to catch up with the princess.

They climbed the black marble stairs and went up to the third floor of the Western Steeple. Dimly lit by sophisticated lanterns, the hallway they walked down was decorated by numerous paintings. After passing several rooms, a couple of servants, and many vases, they stopped in front of an impressive maple wood door.

"This is my room," Aishi explained, stopping and turning around. "We will have tea and then I will have something to discuss with you. Please come in."

"Yes, your highness."

Two maids stood on either side of the door after it was open. Sakura was apprehensive about entering, and when she did, she was awed. It was as big as Sakura's house. "Wow," she whispered.

"Do you like it?" Aishi asked.

"Yeah, I-I don't think I've ever seen a room so gigantic before!" Sakura said with fascination as she walked around, carving everything she saw into her soul. "Tomoyo was right. It _is _worth it."

Princess Aishi stopped in her tracks as she was making her way to the balcony on the right side of the room. There was another one on the other end, but it was more of a miniature garden. "Tomoyo? Was she the girl you were with – the one with the purple hair?" she asked.

Sakura walked up to her and nodded happily. "Yes, she is!" she replied as they both made their way outside and sat down at the tea table. "She is my best friend and cousin."

Aishi was intrigued for some odd reason. She snapped her fingers and one of the maids from earlier appeared. She had curly red hair and a dimple on her cheek when she smiled. Sakura waved at the maid; she decided that it was safe to take off the scarf and started removing it. The maid gasped when she saw her face. Sakura looked at her with confusion and Princess Aishi cleared her throat.

"Bloss, get our tea ready," the princess ordered. The maid named Bloss nodded very slowly and left. Sakura turned to Aishi with a bewildered expression. Bloss soon returned with a teapot. When she poured the tea for Sakura, her hand was trembling and she had a hard time not focusing her eyes on Sakura.

"Um, good tea," Sakura laughed softly as she took a sip, trying to get a conversation started.\

"Yes," acknowledged Aishi. "As I was saying, I need you to help me."

Sakura began crumpling the cookie she held in the hand. She knew that something big was about to happen. Aishi smiled mysteriously and lifted both hands up; they were aimed for her hat. She sighed and took it off, and golden-brown hair fell down onto her shoulders. For a second Sakura thought that a mirror was placed in front of her; she was looking at an exact copy of herself. Sakura gaped at Aishi. She wanted to scream and let the shock go loose, but she couldn't. It was stuck inside her, riding each and every red blood cell as the blood was pumped throughout the body; she felt like she was going to explode.

"Amazing isn't it?" Aishi smiled warily. "It was quite a shock for me at first too, but I need your help more than anything right now."

"What? But how?" Sakura asked, still trying to convince herself that it was impossible and that she must glasses when she got back to the village.

"I want to leave the castle and I need you to replace me for a while. I will be you, and you will be me."

Sakura nodded. "Sounds simple – excuse me? **What!**" She yelped, jumping up from the chair with such force that the chair fell backwards. The little tweety sitting on the side chirped and flew away in a flesh. The gardener down at one of the flower patches looked up in alarm. Aishi got up and pulled Sakura back into the room.

"Shh. . ." she said. Sakura was troubled by the sight of "herself" frowning. _Hoe, so that's how I look like. Maybe I should do that less often._

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Sakura apologized, breathing very heavily.

"Sakura, did you know that I love hunting?" the princess asked with a poignant expression. Sakura shook her head. Aishi sighed and sat down on her bed; she patted it as a sign for Sakura to sit down, and Sakura obeyed.

"One time I was hunting in the woods right behind your village," continued Aishi. "And then I met him – this wonderful man from your village."

She looked at Sakura for some hint of approval, hoping that Sakura would understand how she felt, but she was disappointed.

"Uh…" Sakura said, scratching her head.

"I know it seems strange – maybe a bit too strange," Aishi corrected after seeing Sakura's that's-an-understatement face. "But you have to understand. There is no way that my father will let me be with him."

"And switching places with a girl, going to a place where you're not supposed to be will help that?" Sakura questioned. "I may have just got to know you, princess, but I don't think what you're planning on doing is right."

"Just for a little while, Sakura," Aishi begged. Her tear glands started their engines and were ready to release the tsunami anytime. "I left him hanging; he doesn't know who I really am, and I need to explain that to him."

"So you're just going to cut off the loose ends?" Sakura asked, sounding a bit shocked.

"That, and to get away from this for some time," said the princess, looking around. She sighed at the silent Sakura and grabbed her arm gently. "Please, I can tell you what I'm like, what my hobbies are, who is who and you can tell me about your family and your specialties…all that good stuff, and we'll be fine! We won't mess up anything if we know about each other's life."

"Hoe…b-but Your Highness, don't you think it's a little too risky?"

"I know, but it'll be worth it for both me and you"

"Okay then," Sakura answered quietly. It was a big sacrifice they were making and Sakura knew it. What if the plan failed? They'd both be in trouble. She looked at Aishi and saw that her eyes were filled with sincerity. But she couldn't help but wonder what would happen to her old life. The change might not last forever, but it was going to be there. She would miss Tomoyo's sweetness, Sonomi's kindness, and Touya's overprotective-ness. Everything that she's ever known would be stripped away from her.

"Thank you so much!" Aishi smiled gratefully and hugged her.

"You're welcome," Sakura said hesitantly. She broke apart from the hug and looked into her other self's eyes, equally green and shimmering. "So how are we supposed to do this? You have curls at the end of your hair but I don't."

"Oh, I can fix that. But first, we need to talk about our backgrounds and everything."

"Sure."

"Great, then let's begin shall we?"

Sakura nodded. Aishi started with telling her about the basics of living in a castle and how to respond to anyone who talked to her. She said that she was to only respond to Princess, Princess Aishi, Your Highness, or, as her father and other people in the royal family called her, 'Aishi.' Aishi told her about places in the palace and drew a map in case she forgot. Then, she used some sticks to curl the ends of Sakura's hair for the finishing touch. "You have to remember to do this everyday, though," Aishi warned her as she took out the sticks.

After that, Sakura helped Aishi straighten her hair, although it took a while. She then explained what life was like in the small town. However, it was really hard to memorize all the work she had to do, and all the regular costumers she would meet. Sakura told her to laugh off whatever Tomoyo would say about her being cuter than other people and to ignore Touya when he derided her.

"And, don't forget to tell a bedtime story to Molly," Sakura said and finished with a huge sigh. "Okay?"

"It is a lot of information, but I'll do my best," Aishi replied with a broad smile. Normal people would melt at the sweetness, but Sakura still found it awkward to look at herself doing things. "There's just one more thing. Did your cousin really say that you were cuter and prettier than me?"

Sakura laughed. "Oh, yeah. Can you imagine the look on her face if she were to see us together?"

"Alright, then," Aishi said clapped her hand together. "Let's change."

Their clothes were changed, their attitudes were adjusted, and the two of them walked towards each other and examined the final products for any obvious mistakes. The sun was ready to play hide-and-go-seek with that hemisphere of the world for the next twelve hours. It was time for Aishi to leave and their plan would soon officially start. With a final good-bye and wish of luck, Aishi rode off in the carriage and began her journey "home." Sakura sighed and fell onto the bed, wondering how she could get by.

_This dress is so tight around the waist… or am I too fat? _She thought and pinched her cheek to see if it was chubbier than it used to be. _It must be that cookie I ate a while ago. _

Suddenly someone knocked on the door and when she was about to get up and open it herself, she froze. Princesses do not open doors for others. It's usually the other way around, and that should've been common sense. "Come in," she called as carelessly as she could, just as Aishi had instructed her to do. The same maid who gave her tea stepped in. "Oh, hello."

Silence.

"Err, I mean, what is it?"

_Great, nicely done, Sakura. _

"Princess, Prince Li, your fiancé, is here for your second meeting. This time he will be staying for two months," she said. "Please go down to the dining hall for dinner with out honored guests from the Li Kingdom."

_Fiancé? Oh, Princess Aishi! I know about your second cousin once removed and I don't know about your _fiancé_? I am doomed. Hoe…_she thought and started pacing around the room. "Bloss!"

"Y-yes, Your Highness?" the maid replied

"Never mind," Sakura coughed and looked away. "I-I'll be right there."

"I will inform them, Princess."

_Oh no. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to Clamp.

_This chapter has also been modified in the March of 2008. Enjoy!_

**From Heaven to Hell **– Chapter 2

Sakura sat there motionless on the bed, gawking at the maid that was helping her pick out the proper attire. _Should I try getting some information from her? _She gave a determined look as an idea popped into her head.

"Mikkou, can you tell me about Prince Li?" Sakura asked nervously. _Don't get suspicious, don't get suspicious, _please_ don't get suspicious. _

"Oh, I suppose so, Princess," Mikkou, the maid, curtseyed. "You have been engaged to him since you were 12. Three years after the engagement was announced you two met. It appeared that neither of you liked each other very much, I'm sorry to say. You said that he was a bit on the chilly side."

_In other words, he is unfriendly. I wonder if his staying was one of the reasons for Princess Aishi's departure. _

"Princess, you have every right to ask about the prince. I mean, you've pretty much forgotten about him, and I don't think you were informed about his arrival until last night."

_Guess not._

"Although many girls like him, they were all turned down. A true icicle, that's what he is, if you'll excuse my frankness."

Sakura sighed. _Our meeting will be fun I bet._ She stretched out her arms and let Mikkou control her like a puppet while she helped her put on a sleeveless sapphire dress.

"And he's just here to stay for two months right? Along with his parents?" she asked as the maid tied her hair up. _Please say yes!_

"Oh, I don't think so. I heard that they'll be discussing the date of your marriage tonight at dinner, and then King and Queen Li will leave," Mikkou replied and gave Sakura a pair of white gloves. She then went to the jewelry shelf.

"Marriage?" Sakura asked as she put one of her tiaras and her necklace on, trying her best not to scream. _What mess have I gotten into? _She shouted desperately in her head and under the guidance of her maid, they began to walk towards the dining hall. _What if the date is set to be soon? I might have to marry a total stranger!_

"Well, Your Highness, that's what you would expect if you were to get engaged," the maid giggled. "You'll make a lovely bride."

The main dining hall was only one third the size of the gigantic hall downstairs, but it was still big. Unlike the hall, however, the painted ceiling illustrated a forest and gave off a much more benevolent and humane aura. There was a unicorn (_I would love to meet one some day!_ Sakura thought) and beside it a couple of nymphs were playing harps. Instead of one king of all chandeliers in the middle, there were three smaller sized ones hanging from the ceiling, glittering and dazzling the world. It was expected that there would be music – violins, pianos, flutes – to liven up the atmosphere, but, to Sakura's disappointment, there was none. A large rectangle table that could probably sit 100 people was in the center of the hall, right beneath the lights. Sakura was almost afraid that when she sat down, the others would not hear her.

_A pity only five people will be eating here,_ Sakura thought as they approached King and Queen Li, Prince Li, and King Fujitaka.

"Good evening," she bowed and sat down. Syaoran glanced at her and Sakura smiled weakly in return, but he gave a somewhat disgusted look. Although she was appalled and taken aback, Sakura held her head high, and stared straight into his cold amber eyes.

_That's quite the improvement, _Syaoran mused, taking sips from the golden goblet without breaking the eye contact. A muscle somewhere inside twitched when he saw her smile sweetly at the servant who was putting down the appetizers. _Something is different about this Princess Aishi…I don't remember her eyes being so…sparkly. _

"Well, now that Aishi is here, shall we begin?" Fujitaka asked after sending off the other people.

"Most definitely. Since we are here to discuss about the _perfect _date to join our children in holy matrimony," Queen Yelan nodded at the two of them – Syaoran scowled and Sakura gulped, "I was thinking about some time in July."

"Ah, July?"

_July? But that only three months away! _Sakura panicked. She took a quick look outside the window at the direction where she thought that her village was while the table was filled with soft discussion. _Princess Aishi, _please_ hurry up._

_Of _all_ the twelve months in the year they _had_ to choose July, _Syaoran thought angrily. He looked at Sakura, who was chewing on her lip. _And what is she so nervous about?_

"Yes. What would you say to the 13th of July?" King Li suggested.

"_What?_" both Sakura and Syaoran yelped.

_That's _less _than three months away!_

_Of _all_ the 31 days in July, they _had_ to choose my birthday? _

"Is there something wrong?" Yelan asked in a concerned tone, although she was obviously glad about the simultaneous "what."

"No, not at all, Your Highness."

"It's nothing, Mother."

"My friends, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the 13th of July this year an ominous Friday?" said Fujitaka.

A frown surfaced the forehead of King Li, and he put his fork. "Are you trying to imply that my son's birthday is inauspicious?"

"Oh, no – I would _never_ do that. Forgive me."

_That's the way to do it, Your Majesty! If they get upset, this engagement would poof away, _Sakura chanted in her mind and held her breath.

"But if you insist, July 13th is fine with me," Fujitaka nodded.

_Well it can't get any worse, can it? _Sakura's shoulders slumped.

_I no longer know the meaning of happiness, _thought Syaoran. He pushed the dish away from him and sighed.

"Wonderful!" Yelan cried, ready to jump up.

"Yes, it is," King Li said as he placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, preventing her from causing any embarrassment; Yelan looked slightly mortified.

* * *

The clinking of utensils chimed throughout the hall once more when the five of them settled down and decided to let the news sink in before any more discussions about it were made. The main courses were being served and when the plate was placed in front of Sakura, she shrank a bit into her chair. She used her fork to poke the strange material, and when she looked up, Syaoran was staring at her with curiosity. _Look away, Sakura, and pretend that you didn't do anything funny,_ thought Sakura to herself. Once again her eyes fell upon the colorful "food," and she wished that she was at home, where meals were so much more palatable. _Now that I think about it, _Sakura thought, _the princess was skinnier than me. _Sakura eyed the clock at the far end of the dining room and saw that it was getting late. Usually dinner would have been "devoured" and the table cleared by that time back at the Daidouji house, but not that day.

Aishi slowly made her way to the doorstep and knocked on the wooden door. _It should be here… _She stopped to catch her breath. A little girl who looked like the Molly Sakura described opened the door and hugged her.

"You're back, Sakura!" she gasped happily and took her by the hand, dragging her towards the table where everyone else were waiting. "Now we can eat!"

"Okay," Aishi said and sat down beside Tomoyo. She looked around. It was a very small house; the dining room and living room were combined and there was a little door in the back – Aishi assumed that it was the entrance to the kitchen. Next to the door were the stairs. Aishi recalled from when she was still outside that there were three floors in total. She glanced at the walls; on them were not expensive and rare paintings but pictures and drawings done by children. Her heart warmed up when she looked at the people in front of her. There was a guy putting down the bread. _That must be Touya, _she thought. A couple kids were running around the table; the lady next to Tomoyo was pounding the table lightly to stop them. That was Aunt Sonomi.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, giving "Sakura" a big hug. "How was the castle?"

"Oh, it was great," she murmured; everyone fell silent. The little kids that were running around stopped and bounced to her side. "It's – the castle…it is big."

"Sakura, why don't you tell us how things were like there? The things you saw, the people you met…?" Sonomi asked kindly.

"Oh, sure," said the princess. Aishi then began to tell them things about the castle that no commoner had yet to see and described everything so well that the others could almost see it all. When she paused to rest, everyone was speechless, staring at her with amazement. "And in conclusion – um…did I say too much?"

Touya laughed. "No, squirt," he said. "It's great and all. The castle, I mean. But I'd like to know what the princess looked like."

Everyone leaned in and the kids' eyes widened with hope. Aishi gasped. _Oh no, I can tell them anything, but not this!_

"I-I…I will tell you guys tomorrow," said Aishi. "A little bit of suspense won't hurt anyone, right? And besides, I'm really hungry!"

"Alright, let's eat," Sonomi smiled. Aishi let out a sigh of relief and turned her attention to the food. It looked simple but delicious. She looked at the omelet with fried rice; Aishi had learned that it was Sakura's favorite food.

* * *

_The moon looks like an omelet,_ Sakura thought with a hand placed on her growling stomach. She sat alone in the garden, staring at the dark sky; no stars could be seen. Sakura watched the cherry blossoms fall into the small pond, thinking about whether she would make it through the two months alright. _I might be stuck here till the wedding… _she sighed and closed her eyes. Syaoran's face appeared in her mind. _Although he _is_ rather handsome – _

"What are you doing here?" a cold voice called out from behind.

"I should be asking you. This is my castle," Sakura replied without looking back, already guessing that it was Prince Li. _Yeah, "my" castle. _

"Right," he said and sat down about two meters away from her.

"Why exactly do you want to marry me?" she asked.

"I don't!" Syaoran snapped and glared.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" she whispered and finally looked into his eyes.

Syaoran snorted. "It's none of your business. Would you _please_ quit asking meaningless questions?"

"Yeah, it isn't," Sakura agreed softly, removing her gaze from him to her reflection in the water. _It's Princess Aishi's._

"I don't even like you," she continued. "I like someone else."

It was a lie for Sakura, but it was the truth for Aishi. _Should I safe myself _and _her?_

"That's too bad," he growled, "but royal engagements aren't meant to be broken."

"So you _don't_ want it to be broken?" she looked at him with a bit of surprise.

"Yes, because if it was broken I'd be hurt!" he said sarcastically but Sakura missed it and smiled.

_At least he has some feelings; that's a good sign._

"You know, you aren't that bad after all," she said and stood up.

_What?_ Syaoran stared at her as she went back to the castle. The same muscle deep inside twitched again in his heart.

The next morning, King Fujitaka was away to send King and Queen Li off and that left Sakura and Syaoran alone in the castle – alone with the three hundred servants and guards. When she went down to breakfast, Sakura saw that Syaoran was already there; it amazed her. Normally she would stay in bed for as long as she could before she dragged herself up to go feed the animals. She would be the earliest to rise in the family and that was back in the village. This was the castle, where the nobles slept in, where the brunches took place, and where the true activities didn't begin until the afternoon. Even a couple of servants were yawning.

"Hi," she greeted and sat down. Ignoring his nice and polite little grunt, she said, "Do you always get up so early?"

"Yes, for martial arts," he replied. "You, on the other hand – I don't recall getting up early being a habit of yours."

"Well, you're lucky to witness a miracle then! I just like to smell the fresh morning air, and besides, I love watching sunrises and sunsets," Sakura smiled happily, glad that she didn't need to lie on that one.

Syaoran silently surveyed her as he finished his breakfast. "Good day," he grumbled and left the table.

"I think winter came early this year," Sakura watched him disappear at the doorway and shivered.

"I told you so, Princess."

"_Hoe!_ Oops, I mean, when did you get here, Mikkou?" she forced a small grin at the maid.

"Just now, Your Highness," Mikkou bowed.

"Right," Sakura said. She turned to look back at the deserted doorway where Syoaran previously stood.

_Looks like we have a long way to go, Prince Li._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Card Captor Sakura belongs to Clamp.

_This chapter has been modified in March 2008. Enjoy!_

**From Heaven to Hell** – Chapter 3

"What are you doing?" Syaoran asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl who was 'pointlessly' flipping through the pages of an enormous book. They were in the study room and, to Sakura's dismay neither of them was really studying. It wasn't exactly like Sakura had a choice. Her "father" had thought that it would be a good idea to keep them in a room full of books; he claimed that the books would ease communication.

"Something very interesting," replied Sakura while she fiddled with a corner of the page.

"Yeah, but you're suppose to be reading and _not_ playing with the page," he said and glared at her.

Sakura let out an impatient grunt. _He is so bossy! _She thought as she skimmed through the page. Each and every letter squiggled like a dancing leech, a sight that wasn't exactly pleasing to her eyes. After all, most girls did not have the pleasure of learning back then. King Fujitaka, who believed that tradition was wrong, tried to pass a new law providing education for all, but his idea was turned down by the Council. He didn't give up though; he took little steps. The determined king first decided to make sure that his own daughter knew how to read and write. It was a nice opportunity for the two to bond as well.

A soft knock intruded the lovely moment that they were sharing; Syaoran called out and a maid entered. She bowed at the two and went over to the prince and whispered something into his ear. Sakura guessed that it must have been good news or else those amber eyes of his wouldn't have brightened up with glee. He tried to hide his happiness once the maid had left, although he didn't do a very successful job.

_I think I need that good news more than he does,_ Sakura sighed with a bit of envy.

"Look, I need to leave now. Just tell your father it's important and that I'm terribly sorry that I couldn't spend more time with you," said Syaoran and he picked up his book. _Yeah, right,_ thought Sakura.

"Oh, well, um," she stammered, watching him collect the rest of his possessions. _Here goes nothing..._

Sakura sat up from her fancy chair and faced Syaoran, who was already leaving the desk. "Stay!"

_Okay, that came out a bit too loud._

He stopped and turned his head slowly, wearing a shocked expression instead of the usual cold one Sakura thought he would be having.

"What?" Syaoran asked softly.

"Well," she began, though she had no idea what she was going to say. _Why did I have to do that?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Aishi was having her own problems. There was too much work. Not only that, she was also messing up the things Sakura wouldn't mess up. She woke up late in the morning, missing the good and fresh food from the market and "magically" turned the chicken that they would have for lunch into a black lump. Everywhere she went she left the people with blank expressions and question marks overpopulated the insides of their brains. Luckily, if it weren't for Sakura's kind nature and good history with others, she would have been bashed around by a broomstick for chasing the cat on to the vegetable field in their neighbor's farm.

_This is not good, _she panted and whipped off a handful of sweat from her forehead as she continued to wash the clothes under the sun.

"Sakura-chan?"

It was Tomoyo.

"Oh – hello," Aishi smiled a bit.

Tomoyo looked rather concerned, but she smiled back and stretched out her hand. "Come on, it's very hot outside. Do you want to wash the clothes back inside while I finish sewing?"

"U-um, alright! I would love to actually," she nodded nervously yet eagerly. She gave a revolted look at the laundry and wiped her hands as she frowned. Tomoyo was just about to turn away and walk back when she noticed this peculiar move. "Sakura" had been acting strangely since she came back from the castle.

* * *

Syaoran stood there and stared at the girl. "Okay, talk," he said impatiently.

"You see, Prince Li, the – um, oh! My father! He said he wanted to see you after we're done," Sakura nodded very hard. She was glad that she remembered her "father's" request before leaving them alone.

"Oh?" he muttered, thinking to himself. "Okay then."

"And!"

"What?" Syaoran asked.

"You will meet in the hall," Sakura finished and pointed at him.

He murmured a small "thanks" that made Sakura smile for the first time that day. _He's actually polite, _she closed her eyes as she took in a wave of fresh air from outside. Sakura continued to look out of the window and her eyes slowly trailed from the two short towers in the front of the castle where the big jaw bridge stood between them and on to the empty road that lead home. Even if she couldn't see it very clearly, she knew that the town was a lot busier than the castle. It was nice to stay in a quiet and peaceful place, but it would soon get boring.

"I wish Tomoyo-chan was here," she whispered and sighed. She stood up and left the study room. There was no point in staying there since she was all alone. "Alone" took on a new meaning when she got there. Sometimes when she walked down the hallways, she could hear her foot steps echo. The echoing sometimes ended up in her heart. The place was too big, and despite the presence of all the servants and people, it was still quite empty. Sakura wandered around and got back into Aishi's room by coincidence.

Mikkou, the princess's most trusted maid, was running around the room cleaning up the marble statues that didn't exactly need the attention, straightening the portraits, and picking up after Sakura's mess – a pile of used clothes.

"Princess," she chimed while dusting the china vase with a fluffy feather duster. "You do know that Sir Eriol will be arriving tomorrow, don't you?"

Sakura looked away from the window and groaned. "Who?" she asked. _Perfect, _another_ person. _

"He is Prince Li's half-cousin. He is also his, well, I suppose, 'side-kick' too," Mikkou answered, now wiping the window Sakura stood next to.

"How nice."

_This is just wonderful – another one of his people,_ Sakura thought gloomily.

* * *

Noon had passed; Sakura lied comfortably on the rug. She never noticed it but the ceiling of Aishi's room was empty. There was no painting on it like all the other ones did. She mindlessly fiddled with a wooden puzzle that she had found in a drawer of the writing desk. Its pieces were rough; were they made by an unskilled craftsman? The fond memory of going to the craftsman John's shop with her mom popped into her head. Sakura looked at the writing desk and pouted. She thought that she had saw some other wood works inside the drawer. _Aishi never told me that collecting wooden toys was a hobby. _A couple of minutes passed and boredom began to engulf her. She got up from the floor and stretched as she watched a pair of white birds fly by. They were chirping merrily and playing with each other. Sakura treaded to the window and dragged the curtains across; now she really wanted Tomoyo to be there.

_What should I do now?_ She wondered after she put the puzzle back and left the room. She walked down a random hallway but soon she realized that she was in the hallway leading to Syaoran's room. Just as she was about to turn back, she heard voices coming from the room where her "fiancé" stayed. Sakura hid out of eyesight just in time to see Syaoran and a servant pass.

"-is ready, sir, you should be able to enjoy your afternoon in town very soon," the other guy said. Sakura's curiosity took over and she decided to stalk them for a little while.

"Good," Syaoran nodded. "Just remember not to tell anybody about this, okay?"

The servant conceded and left after bowing to him. Syaoran stopped and laughed softly right after the servant was gone. "You can come out now, Princess," he said and turned around, looking at the statue that Sakura was hid behind.

"How did you know-"

"It's your own fault that your perfume is too strong," Syaoran shrugged and continued walking. "Either that, or I'm gifted with a great sense of smell."

"But I didn't put any perfume on," Sakura murmured, still amazed.

"Of course you didn't," he said without looking at the bewildered girl beside him. "And now that you know something's going on, I might as well not keep it a secret anymore. Please, do come with me."

"To where, prince?"

"Oh you know. I'm going to the town."

"What town?" Sakura asked. _My town? _"Why?"

"I'll tell you when we get in the carriage. Hurry up," Syaoran rushed, giving her a soft push as they walked towards the smaller gate beside the jaw bridge.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to Clamp.

_After four years I have finally updated. I hope you'll like it!_

**From Heaven to Hell** – Chapter 4

The droplets fell one by one on the ground, sizzling and evaporating the second it landed. Aishi sat on a bench next to the back door of the house, watching her first ever pack of laundry drying under the sun. She was waiting for Tomoyo to get ready; in a few moments they would be going to help out at the market.

"Sakura-chan," said Tomoyo as she stepped out of the building, tying her hair up in a bun. She bent down and picked up two baskets. "My mother decided to give you another small errand."

"I won't be going to the market then?" asked Aishi, taking the basket that Tomoyo handed to her. She looked down at it; there were a couple of fruits, some green vegetables, and a loaf of bread.

"Oh, no," Tomoyo said and pointed at the food. "You just have to drop that off at Uncle John's crafts shop; mother wants to thank him for fixing our table."

"Uncle John's –?"

"The crafts shop, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo repeated to the confused girl. She laughed as if "Sakura" had just told a joke. "Remember? You used to go there with your – never mind."

Tomoyo studied her cousin's face; there was no way that Sakura could forget about that shop. She lifted her arm up and indicated the way to the place. "Don't forget to meet me at the stand, alright?"

"I won't," said Aishi. She waved at Tomoyo and left. _This is it,_ she thought as she walked down the road, dirt and dust flying up every time she put down her foot. It was time to do what she went there for.

* * *

Syaoran jumped off the carriage, turned around, and offered his hand to Sakura. Both surprised and pleased, she held it for support as she got out. They were at the bottom of the dandelion hill. The soldiers guarding them left when the prince waved his hand. He stretched his arms out, letting the wind inflate his clothes. Sakura adjusted her wide-brimmed hat and started walking towards the town; she wanted to run though. It was right there in front of her eyes – her home. What had only been about a week seemed like months to Sakura. Maybe – just maybe – Aishi had taken care of her business and was ready to switch back. She looked back at Syaoran, who was running to catch up with her.

"Hey," he said once he caught up. "We don't have to walk, you know. We can use the horses and –"

"No, that's fine," said Sakura and she continued walking at a swift pace. "I don't want to cause any commotion."

The two of them got down to the village rather quickly. Several town folks passed them on the way when they walked through the gates. A little girl stopped and pointed at them. Syaoran smiled and nodded at the people the way he would at the servants in the castle. _Oh, you prince. You're just attracting more attention!_ Sakura thought and grabbed him by the arm.

"Augh, honey!" exclaimed Sakura as she pulled out her lace fan. Syaoran jumped and froze. "It is _so_ hot today!"

"Uh," he hesitated and looked around nervously; now more people had paused in their daily procedures and stared at him.

"We must hurry and get to the nobility convention," Sakura continued dragging Syaoran, trying to get into the busier part of town.

"Oh, of course, _dear,_" said Syaoran as he played along. The people shrugged; some laughed at the "noble wannabes."

"That's got to be the second batch of them nobility people I've seen today," said an old man to his grandson. _The second batch? _Wondered Syaoran. _Someone else also claimed to be noble today?_ He felt his arm fall down; Sakura had let go. Syaoran looked back and saw that she was gone. A rush of panic took over.

* * *

Sakura spun around. _Uh-oh,_ she thought. She lost Syaoran and there were too many people shoving, pushing, and squeezing around her. _It's okay, I'll look for him later,_ thought Sakura as she saw the market. She smiled but just when she was about to run towards it, she saw "herself."

"Aishi!" she breathed. The princess was walking down a semi-deserted alley carrying a basket. Sakura darted as lightly as she could after the girl. Her feet slowed down when she saw Aishi enter a shop – John's Wood. She approached the shop with caution; she peeked from the doorway and saw that Aishi had placed the basket on the counter. Before Sakura could catch her attention, a young man came out from behind the counter.

"Princess?" the man asked. Sakura had never seen him at the store before. What surprised her more was that he knew Aishi was the princess.

"Robert," Aishi gasped. _So he's the guy,_ thought Sakura. If the two of them ended their business Sakura and Aishi could return to their lives, but something made Sakura doubt that possibility.

"Princess, what are you doing here?" asked the guy named Robert. He left the counter and walked up to Aishi. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"But I promised that I'll come back," said Aishi. She then lowered her voice and looked around tentatively. "Why weren't you there at the gates the day I was here? I could have chose you and you could've –"

"I was out of town," said Robert bitterly.

"Well, it's alright now," Aishi whispered, running a hand through his blond hair. "I'm here, but I'm not me. I'm pretending to be Kinomoto Sakura."

"From the Daidouji House?" Robert blurted. "But how –?"

"It's a bit hard to believe, but we look exactly alike," explained the princess.

_This doesn't sound like a potential farewell, Your Highness, _thought Sakura. _What are you doing?_

"We switched places," she continued. "I said that we'll switch back in a few months, but that's not going to happen."

Sakura's body tensed up.

"She'll reveal everything, won't she?" asked Robert.

"No, but she'll try," said Aishi. "She'll try and she'll fail."

* * *

_Where _is_ that Princess Aishi?_ Syaoran thought with anger and despair. A tiny town suddenly magnified itself and became ten times bigger. He'd asked around for information; it wasn't hard to spot a woman in a big fluffy dress and oversized hat. He felt vulnerable. The people pushed him out of their way as he stood there. The cries of the people at the stands deafened his ears, and the multifarious colors of the food and products blinded him.

"Hello, sir," said Tomoyo to the gentleman in front of her. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like an apple please," said the man, turning around, his dark hair flounced around in the air. His eyes shined with intelligence behind his glasses.

"As you wish," said Tomoyo as she slowly picked up an apple from the tray. Her sudden clumsiness caused the crimson fruit to fall out of her hand. "Oh I am so sorry! Here, I'll get you another apple."

"That won't be necessary," the man said. He picked up the apple and wiped it with his sleeve. He held it up and smiled at Tomoyo. "This is the one."

Tomoyo accepted the money and was just about to open her mouth again when she noticed that the man had spotted something.

"Syaoran?" she heard him whisper. The man saw that the prince was running towards something and began to move himself. He nodded at Tomoyo and left.

* * *

"What do you mean she'll fail?" demanded Robert anxiously.

"In a couple of months, she'll marry the prince of Li," said Aishi. "Once she gets married, she can't reveal our secret, because the Li's could accuse us of lying and probably will start a war. No loving citizen in her right mind would do that if she knew the consequences, would she?"

_I guess we're not that similar after all, princess,_ thought Sakura, gritting her teeth.

"And if she were to reveal it before the wedding?"

"We will leave before that, I guarantee it," Aishi held his hand. "The Daidouji's can't expect Sakura to stay with the forever."

"So we'll elope?"

"Not exactly," said Aishi. "But we should leave within a month, or the real Sakura would get suspicious."

_Too late, I already am. _

Without warning, a hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed Sakura by the shoulder. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" hissed Syaoran. "Why did you leave?"

Sakura gasped; Aishi and Robert swiveled around.

"What the –?"

"Come on!" Sakura urged, grasped Syaoran's hand, pulled him and ran. Aishi rushed out of the store just in time to see the backs of the escaping two. _Please don't tell me that she heard us,_ thought Aishi.

* * *

"Princess, what is going on!" rushed Syaoran.

"We have to go!" said Sakura, not looking back. _I _want_ to go._

They squeezed through the crowds in the market, panting heavily. Sakura's dress was particularly cumbersome. When the wall of people thinned, Sakura began running again; Syaoran had no choice but to follow. On the side, Tomoyo looked up from her check lists and saw the two eccentrically dressed run by. A button within her was pushed when she saw the emerald eyes and auburn hair beneath the hat of the running girl. _Sakura-chan! _She quickly dashed out from behind the stand but bumped into a man before she got any further. The man held Tomoyo by the waist and asked her gently, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," said Tomoyo. It was the man who bought the apple. "I'm sorry but I need to go."

"To chase those two 'nobles?'" asked the man. Tomoyo widened her eyes. He held out his arms and smiled, "Shall I escort you?"

Sakura and Syaoran arrived at the carriage. Yet another sunset was about to take place – another sunset she would watch as a princess and not herself. Syaoran was looking at Sakura with unease.

"Do you want to go now, or –?"

"Sakura-chan?"

The two noble "frauds" looked back, and neither of them was too delighted to see the ones who stood before them.

* * *

**Note: **I think that there were too many scenes. Was it confusing? Please review. Thanks! Hehe...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to Clamp.

_What exactly is Tomoyo's hair color?_

* * *

**From Heaven to Hell**** –** Chapter 5

* * *

"Sakura?" questioned Syaoran. Her heart jolted; it was the first time the prince had uttered Sakura's real name. _Too bad he doesn't know,_ thought Sakura. Syaoran drew his eyes away from the strange girl with light grey hair and fixed them instead on the man beside her. "_You_ – what the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"The horses were fast. I arrived a day early. Is that a crime?" asked the man with eloquence, patting his ritzy dark suit. "And besides, I was in town for the nobility convention."

"Of course you were, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran scoffed. Next to them, the girls were caged in a world of silent interrogation; one's eyes were bleeding questions while the other's were dimmed by words that were unable to form answers.

"Sa –" Tomoyo's lips parted but quavered, as did her voice.

"Sakura should have returned to you quite a while ago," the spurious princess interrupted, lowering her face, letting the shadow conceal it.

"Y-yes, she did," said Tomoyo after a short pause. Her face broke into a hearty smile. "But something didn't – she left her bracelet behind."

"Then we'll send someone to deliver it to you," Syaoran cut in as he turned and started for the carriage. The soldiers ogled at them with wonder.

"Why the rancor, my prince?" Eriol asked before Sakura could protest. "What has this charming young lady ever done to you? I'm sure we could just –"

"Charming? I apologize, Eriol, but –"

"You will remain quiet, Prince Li," commanded Sakura. Both Syaoran and Eriol stared, astonished at her sudden outburst. "This girl – a close friend of _my_ close friend – has walked all the way here. Don't you think it's a little rude to ask her to leave? She _will _come with us back to the castle."

"You know, I was quite impressed by your little explosion at first, but, not anymore," Syaoran said and shrugged. He continued walking to the carriage. "_Fine_, let her come."

"Tomoyo sprinted to Sakura's side and gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered as the two of them and Eriol climbed in after the arrogant prince.

The four shared a mild ride back to the palace, but little was said. Each exhibited a different emotion; Sakura was nervous, Tomoyo was excited, and Eriol was content. Syaoran, on the other hand, was grumpy. While Tomoyo introduced the things they saw on the way to Eriol, Sakura shifted with unease next to the sullen Syaoran.

Evening soon arrived with a bit of chill in the air. Sakura shivered when the wind invaded the warm space inside the carriage as the door was opened. Eriol had asked the carriage to be stopped closer to the front doors of the palace.

"It's been a long day," he concluded, climbing down the steps.

"Eriol," Syaoran called to his cousin once they split their ways inside the castle; Sakura and Tomoyo wernt upstairs to the princess's chamber.

"I see I'm no longer 'Hiiragizawa' to you," said Eriol. "That's a good sign."

"Sorry I overreacted back there," said Syaoran, laughing.

"It's not funny," Eriol said with a stern face. "What _was_ funny, though, was when your fiancée told you to shut up."

"You have a queer sense of humor, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran grunted and picked up his speed. Eriol, however, stopped.

"Ah, we're back to square one," he smirked. The prince spun around. It wasn't very wise to turn your back on the single person that you could trust in enemy territory.

"What I meant was," he watched his cousin perform yet another possible soliloquy. "The way she spoke to you and the whole situation – they reminded me of a wife scolding her husband. You two are quite a pair, you know that?"

The sincerity of his last statement shook Syaoran. "We're not even close to being a couple, Eriol," he defended. "Marriage looses its meaning if it is sparked by a royal engagement."

"Not unless you go find that 'meaning.'"

"Just shut up."

* * *

The two girls kept their heads down as they skidded down the hall to Aishi's room, avoiding any unnecessary contact with others. The setting around her – the paintings, the vases, the statues – was starting to seem familiar to Sakura. And to think that this afternoon, she had thought that all the path memorization would become obsolete once she switched back with Aishi. Tomoyo attempted to solace her best friend, for something was indeed troubling her, but failed; the dress had devoured the hallway, preventing Tomoyo from walking right next to Sakura. They shuffled across the carpeted flood and finally entered the room. Sakura shut the door.

"Tomoyo-chan," she said, taking off her hat. Her forehead was glistening with perspiration.

"Sakura-chan? Is that really you?"

"Yes, it is," croaked Sakura. She sat down on the bed, too tired to remain standing.

"I knew the Sakura-chan that came back a week ago wasn't you," Tomoyo said, placing a hand on Sakura's as she rested beside her. She frowned. "But I don't understand."

"Neither do I. At least, not anymore," Sakura sighed. She laid her head on Tomoyo's shoulder and began retelling her tale, including the events she encountered that day.

"Who knew," whispered Tomoyo. Sakura was crying now; for the first time in that lonesome week she had someone. _It will be alright_, she thought, closing her eyes.

"Sakura-chan, the best thing to do is to catch Aishi before she leaves with that man," said Tomoyo.

"Yeah, I guess," nodded Sakura. She was about to fall asleep when someone pounded no her door, shattering the brief comfort she had found. She groaned and rose. "Come in."

And once again, it was Mikkou. "Your Highness," she bowed. Tomoyo sprang up from the mattress. The maid eyed her and sniffed. "It is dinner time. Shall I inform the kitchen that an unexpected guest will be tagging along?"

"You will find life a lot more wonderful if you do that," muttered Sakura. She took Tomoyo by the elbow and walked out.

They trotted to the dining hall, talking and laughing. The walls sparkled with life as they passed; frowning, dour figures in portraits seemed to smile at them. Sakura and Tomoyo conversed like long lost friends even though they had only been separated for a week. Sakura assumed that the castle had shrunk, because it took only half the time she spent before to get to the room. At the sight of the large table, Tomoyo gasped. They pulled their chairs out and sat down; Syaoran was across from Sakura and Eriol was beside him, facing Tomoyo. King Fujitaka settled down lat and he smiled at everyone.

"This is nice," he addressed. "Shall we eat?"

"Is he the one you're marrying?" asked Tomoyo, giggling and pointing at Syaoran.

"Tomoyo, not now," whispered a blushing Sakura. "And besides, I can't marry him. It'd be a lie."

_A big lie…_

* * *

There is an adjective that can best describe the relationship between the prince and the princess during the week following the visit to town: awkward. Several more reading sessions were held, but when Eriol joined, it evolved into a reading club. Dukes, countesses, and earls – anyone who could read – soon found themselves reviewing books along with the original three. Syaoran would use the chance to neglect his future wife; what had been planned to bring them closer brought them apart instead. The cousin, Eriol, would try and resolve that, but had no success. He did a better job helping Tomoyo organize her belongings in her new room. Sakura had requested for her "new" friend to stay in the palace for a longer period of time. King Fujitaka agreed; his theory was that attending to his daughter's needs would make her happier, thus making her look forward to the wedding.

It didn't take the brilliant king a long time to realize that "Aishi" and Syaoran were growing distant of one another. He asked for Tomoyo to switch places with the prince during meals. The more time they spent next to each other, the better. For once, King Fujitaka had the pleasure to see one of his matchmaking plans work – sure, it might have just been a pass of the salt bottle, but it was something. The world sang and the flowers danced when one night, Syaoran gave half of his omelet to Sakura. Watching the betrothed pair was like watching two kids, learning through sharing, and bonding through acceptance.

One afternoon, Sakura was sitting alone in the garden in front of the Eastern Steeple. Tomoyo was off somewhere with Eriol; they had been spending a lot of time together. She signed, pondering about the life with Syaoran if they had no been engaged.

_We could have never met, silly_, she thought to herself with a wry smile.

"Hey, um…"

Sakura looked back. _'Think'_ _of the devil?_ She nodded at Syaoran. He stood in front of her with a bouquet in his hand.

"Here," he said and stretched out his arm. "Look at it as a belated birthday present."

"What?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes. She'd never informed him of her birthday, which was over a month ago.

"Take it, please?" Syaoran insisted as Sakura stood up. She took it, not knowing what else to do. The prince glowered.

"So you don't want it?"

"N-no, it's not that."

"I knew I shouldn't have listened to Eriol," he grumbled.

Sakura dropped the flowers and gasped. _What?_

"This bouquet wasn't your idea?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"…No," Syaoran whispered. He stared at the present, now dusty and squashed. "Why would _I_ give you anything?"

"That's true," he heard her say. She was now glaring at him. "You could've at least been sincere!"

"Look, Princess Aishi, I don't need moral lessons from you."

"But you do need them," she snapped and stormed off. "And _don't_ call me Aishi."

* * *

Dinner came hand in hand with the setting sun; unfortunately, the only two that were present in the hall were Sakura and Syaoran. The princess poked at her peas, sighing. She'd regretted yelling at Prince Li earlier. Syaoran rubbed his temple; he had no appetite.

"If I don't call you Aishi, then what _do _I call you?" he asked as quietly as he could.

"Anything you want, I guess," Sakura replied, looking up at the prince. Their eyes met; both smiled. Sakura turned pink and stared elsewhere to avoid the burning amber.

"Listen, I've been thinking," Syaoran said and reached for his pocket. "And – I'm sorry."

Sakura focused her gaze on the man for the second time. She paused. "It's alright. I'm actually glad to know that Eriol made you do it. If I'd thought that the gift was your idea and accepted it, I'd look like a fool."

"Which is why," Syaoran ginned, pulling out a bracelet, "I made you this."

"Oh, wow…"

"It's not that good, since I didn't have that much time," he said. "But, the point is – this one comes from the bottom of my heart. Forgive me."

Beaming, Sakura put on the bracelet. It wasn't made of gold or silver, it was made of yarn. The yarn wasn't spun from the most pampered sheep but from the most ordinary one. On the bracelet, a red stone that glinted like the sun hung.

"Ah, we're terribly sorry!" announced Eriol as he, Tomoyo, and the king stepped in.

"Where were you?" Syaoran asked, clearing his throat.

"Watching a lovely play," Eriol said, smirking.

Sakura looked to Tomoyo with a confused expression. Her best friend sat down across from her, _chuckling_. "Hoee…" she mumbled. Once the king was seated, the meal officially began. Smiling, Sakura resumed to her poking. This time, she decided to eat the peas. She looked around her; it was the picture of a family – her new family. Nothing, not even Aishi's betrayal could scare her good spirits away.

They say that the dinner table is a sacred place, and Sakura believed just that.

* * *

**Note: **Aw, Syaoran gave something to Sakura!

Did you like it? Review and tell me what you think!

It's my birthday today, April 5th. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. Romeo and Juliet belongs to William Shakespeare.

_This was a loooong chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

**From Heaven to Hell **–Chapter 6

* * *

The sun spread its warm arms out, embracing the castle that was still veiled by drowsiness. Bloss rubbed her eye and yawned; the other hand held the feather duster. Peering through the window next to her, she saw the princess resting at the foot of an oak tree; patches of light illuminated her face. A book snuggled in her lap but her gaze was elsewhere. Shaking her head, Bloss resumed her swiping.

Sakura smiled. Life was very good at the moment. The weather was benign – cerulean skies, cotton-like clouds, and the occasional cool morning breeze. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear; the shampoo that she used was absolute delight for her auburn tresses. Some days, she would caress the softness on her head for minutes without realizing what she was doing. It was heaven, living in the castle. The girl took a while to figure it out, but it wasn't too late. Never had she felt so placid and content. Sakura didn't have to do any work around the palace. She wasn't all too comfortable with that at first, but the respite was too alluring.

Her hand brushed the grass; beads of dew bounced off, flickering as they went. Rays of light dazzled the wrinkled surface of the pond in front of her. Sakura always liked the sun beams; they gave everything magic. Above all, Sakura liked it when the light hit water. The liquid would shine as if a clumsy fairy had sprinkled its dust on it by accident. That day, the twinkling water which caught her eye belonged to a certain man – it was the sweat of Syaoran Li.

"Hah!" his yell warped the tranquility. With every punch – every swift and powerful punch – Syaoran sent his perspiration flying. The prince had disposed of his regular urbane attires and put on his training clothes. Not so long ago, he took off his shirt; the pair of black pants, to Sakura's innermost disappointment, remained where it was: stuck on his legs.

Those two intense amber eyes enticed Sakura. Her own wandered on to the bracelet that Syaoran had given her the day before. It was hard for her to rid her face of her smile; after all, there was no real reason to be upset. The color of the stone resembled her fiancé's eyes greatly, and that was just another cause for her growing fondness of the tiny charm. Sakura looked at the prince again. _He's really not that bad, _she thought. It seemed as if he had completed a round of moves; Syaoran straightened his body and rolled his shoulders, relaxing the stressed muscles. _Look away, woman, look away,_ Sakura grumbled to herself when she saw the prince turning around. Syaoran raised an eyebrow as their eyes met.

"Eep!" a yelp fled out of her mouth. Sakura grabbed the book, opened it to page 69 – or was it 96? Some part of her heart crumbled when she realized that the book was upside down. She might be illiterate, but that was common sense. _As if I have any of it left,_ Sakura groaned as Syaoran approached her, chuckling. _Why else would I be in this mess?_

"Have you been reading the whole time I was training?" he asked. A sly smirk appeared on his face. Sakura pretended to read and avoided his eyes as she nodded with enthusiasm. "I, for some curious reason, believe that you've been staring at me for quite a while."

"That's ridiculous, Prince Li," Sakura denied in a strained voice. She scoffed and slammed the book shut.

Syaoran cleared his throat as he sat down in the shade next to Sakura. "Read something for me."

_Huh?_

"Prince, not to be rude or anything – but aren't you a little old to be asking for a story?" said Sakura, trying very hard to cover up her panic.

"Maybe," he replied. "But I need to see how good of a reader you are. You'll have to tell stories to the kids."

"Kids? What kids?"

"_Our_ kids, Your Highness, our future kids."

"Ah – wha –?" Sakura stammered. Inside her, a volcano erupted.

"It'll be our parents' wishes that we produce some children," he added, smiling at the girl. "Now read."

"…can't."

"Pardon?"

"I can't…read," Sakura managed to squeeze out. She gulped and lowered her head in defeat; Syaoran was silent.

"But I thought – you're a _princess_," he whispered. Something wasn't right. In his kingdom, he would often hear his sisters swoon over the fact that the Kinomoto princess had an education. Even if the importance of women was neglected in the Kinomoto land, the female population there was lucky compared to their kind in the Li Kingdom. The princess in front of him seemed to be telling the truth, however. Syaoran was beyond confused. "You don't know how to read at all?"

"I can recognize some words. And numbers," Sakura said with a little pride. Back home at the market, she was the one in charge of putting up the price and discount signs.

"Impressive," he nodded, taking the book from her. Sakura's smile broadened. Syaoran paused for a moment before he looked up at the princess. An outrageous idea formed in his mind. "What would you say if I were to teach you how to read?"

"And write?" Sakura sat up, clasping her hands together.

"Sure," Syaoran said.

"But why?"

"I can't have a stupid queen. No offense."

_That's true._

"One of the reasons that my parents favored you was because of your…wit," he concluded in a lamentable tone. "I could always tell them that you know hardly a thing and let them find me a smarter bride, but it'll be too much trouble."

"And I," said Sakura, "could tell my father to get me a less annoying groom."

"You do that," said Syaoran and opened up the book.

The sun was higher up in the sky now; inside the castle, Bloss shook her head. It was so typical of Princess Aishi to lie and get attention.

"Not knowing how to read? _Honestly…_" she muttered and walked away from the window.

* * *

" – From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/ A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life/ Whose misadventured piteous overthrows – " she paused. "What?"

"Nothing, Sakura," said Molly, her big blue eyes blinking with fascination. "I just never knew you knew how to read."

"Well, of course I don't, silly," said Aishi, closing up the fragile packet in her hands. "I – I made that up."

"Really?" exclaimed the little girl. "But I thought you said that someone named William wrote that?"

"William is my pen name," said Aishi as she hustled Molly outside. They had been cleaning the kitchen when she discovered a copy of the classic piece of literature skulking in a drawer. "Now go out and play."

"Okay, Will!" giggled Molly, waving as she ran to a group of children playing with marbles. Aishi sighed, massaging her temples. _I'd rather be Shakespeare right now,_ she thought as she climbed up the narrow steps. All of the sudden, she heard someone sobbing in a room. She tiptoed down the hall, shuddering every time a creak was made. Aishi stopped by the door of the room she recognized as Sonomi's. She squatted down and leaned forward. The door was not shut for there was still a tiny crack available for her to peek in. With as much caution as she could muster, Aishi pushed the door, enlarging the crack. Sonomi had her back to the door; her body shook as she wept. She held something in her hand, but Aishi could not see it. The princess assumed it to be a picture.

"Nade…shiko…"

_Nadeshiko? Isn't that Sakura's mother? _Aishi wondered with suspicion. Her hear began to pound at a faster rate.

"Your secret's starting to be a fuss to keep," said Sonomi, sniffling. When she blew her nose, Aishi gritted her teeth with impatience.

"How naïve can you get?" Sonomi continued. "Sakura's a smart girl you know…"

._...What's going on?_

"You left too early, Nadeshiko," she said. "Who's going to explain things when Sakura finds out that she has a twin?"

Aishi stood up and backed away from the door. She couldn't listen anymore. The word "twin" sawed the thin string that suspended her from all that she knew again and again; she stopped at the stairs and the tears overwhelmed her. That string snapped – Aishi fell into darkness.

* * *

Eriol was a cunning man. He had a gift for arguing with others and taunting people, hence his dried up social well. But because there was so little to drink from, he cherished the precious drops of water left inside. He didn't originate from the Li Kingdom; rumor has it that he just showed up one day at the front gate and the guards let the battered young fellow in. The Li guards weren't people who did that often. Regardless of where he came from, the king and queen still took him in. Soon, Hiiragizawa Eriol became the adopted cousin of Prince Syaoran Li.

That morning, Eriol was in the mood for a walk around the inside of the castle. The Kinomoto palace was different, though it was just as majestic as the one the Li's lived in. There was a touch of loneliness, he noticed as he passed, about the King's residence – an icy exterior that even the sunlight could not melt. Eriol was pondering over the absence of a queen when he saw Tomoyo standing at the piano in one of the music rooms. She was pressing the keys like a child, and, despite the unappealing melody, she was smiling.

"You're here early," he announced as he stepped in.

"Eriol," Tomoyo said, startled. She jumped away from the piano. "I was looking for Sakura-chan, but I think she's busy."

Curious, Eriol looked in the direction she'd pointed to. A certain cousin of his was just about to sit down next to his fiancée. He couldn't help but laugh.

"I wouldn't disturb them either," he said, nodding at Tomoyo.

"Uh – sorry, I was going to go back to her room, but I got distracted," she explained while she fidgeted with her fingers. "It's such a beautiful instrument."

He studied Tomoyo with interest. "Tell you what, I'm going to get someone to fetch us some breakfast – unless you already had some," he offered and she shook her head. "Great, stay here and I'll be right back."

The one thing Eriol didn't like about castles was how there were hundreds of servants around, but they're never there when you need them. He took a turn and saw Bloss muttering to herself.

"…_honestly,_" she was saying.

"Do you have something to complain about?"

"Sir Eriol, I – no, I don't," Bloss bowed. She tightened on the feather duster and looked up. "It's Princess Aishi…she's pretending to not know how to read to win Prince Li's affection."

"Illiterate women, with the exception of his relatives, don't exactly attract my cousin," Eriol replied.

"But she _does _know how to read."

"You said 'pretend' after all."

"She's a liar, Sir Eriol."

"She's your princess, Miss – er, maid," he said, adjusting his collar. "She's your boss."

Obviously offended, Bloss bowed and left. Eriol faced the window, Syaoran was pointing at the book, and the princess imitated the shapes that he was forming with his mouth. The stench of scandal filled the air –

"Eriol?"

"Ah, Tomoyo – oh, sorry, I got side tracked," he said, smiling as the girl approached him, carrying a plate. "I was wondering where the smell came from…"

"After you left, Mikkou came with this," she held the food forward. "Shall we go eat?"

"Yes, let's go."

* * *

Sakura and Syaoran strolled down the hallway. They were walking closer together, and their elbows grazed a couple times. Gossipy maids faked their cleaning and turned in to a pack of chatty bees once the young pair swept by.

"Oh!" Sakura blurted in surprise as she tripped. Syaoran caught her and grinned.

"You really like doing that don't you?"

"Soaking my feet in the pond for half the day did contribute a bit," she groaned and straightened up.

"I'm getting hungry," said Syaoran, patting his stomach.

"Yeah, it's late," Sakura agreed. The final trace of light was spread just above the horizon; she squinted and saw some figures on the top of the dandelion hill through the window. "Hey, Syao –"

"Princess-who-doesn't-wish-to-be-called-by-her-name, your father wants to see you," said Syaoran, facing the corridor that led to Fujitaka's office. "Were you going to say something?"

"No," said Sakura, brushing by the prince and turning right before marching down the king. _I can't believe that I almost called him by his first name._

"Um…Father?" Sakura asked, walking as if the floor were about to collapse. Fujitaka looked up from the fishbowl that was on his desk. "Hi."

"Aishi," said Fujitaka. "Come, sit down."

She did as she was told and made herself comfortable in the gigantic leather seat across from him. "The fish," she said, curling up her legs," are so colorful and pretty."

"Really?" the king sounded taken aback, but pleased at the same time. "You never liked them much."

"But are you sure?" she said with delight, poking the glass to play with them. "They're adorable! Look at how energetic they are."

Fujitaka chuckled, his eyes glinting with affection. "Aishi, I know you didn't want to go through with this engagement –"

"It's fine," Sakura said and sat back up, sighing.

"You've changed, my dear, in a good way."

"What makes you say that, Father?"

"Ever since the visit to that village…" he paused, poignant eyes lingering. "Sorry – as I was saying, since that visit, you've become different."

"Wow, that's surprising," Sakura whispered with sarcasm.

"You're interrupting people when they speak –"

_Ugh…no._

"– Mixing up your eating utensils –"

_Can't blame me, can you, Your Majesty?_

"– Getting lost –"

_I'm that flawed? Hoee…  
_

"But you're talking more, you're colorful, cooperative with Prince Li, and –"

Sakura was flattered. It was the king complimenting her, the "father" she had found through this journey. She'd felt that no evil could ruin the awkward father-daughter talk which she'd never had. Unfortunately for her, malice came in all shapes and sizes; this time, it took on the guise of a horse's neigh.

"What in the world?" Fujitaka stood up and looked out the window. Sakura followed. _Nice view,_ she thought before identifying the source of the noise. Beyond the glass was the Kinomoto Kingdom; lights dispersed across the land like bright mini polka dots. The gates and the front area of the palace were visible as well. At the very same place about a dozen horses and a carriage were there, and as were Tomoyo and Eriol.

"Father, I'm going down to check on what's happening," she called while running out. Before she left, she stopped and faced the king. "Just out of curiosity, what was that last thing you were going to say? About my changing."

"You," he said as he took a seat, "are clumsy."

"Eh?"

On the whole way out to the gates, Sakura wondered why that particular trait was significant. Kinomoto Fujitaka on the other hand, glanced from the window with a smile.

* * *

"Princess Ai – I mean, oi!" Syaoran hollered, approaching Sakura. They were a hundred yards away from the commotion.

"Prince Li," Sakura addressed him without looking; her eyes were fixed on the carriage. Surrounding the dark and brown carriage were thirteen hooded figures.

"Tomoyo-chan," she called out; Tomoyo gasped and grabbed her best friend by the hand. "What's going on?"

"We don't know. They haven't said a word yet."

Syaoran sighed as he exchanged gazes with Eriol. He stepped up to the door of the carriage. The protective circle broke apart. Shaking his head, he knocked on it.

"Meiling?" he grunted. The door swung open and Syaoran ducked. A beautiful young lady jumped down without even touching the steps. Admiration for the stranger grew at once in Sakura. Her haid was raven with tints of blue, and her eyes were the same shade of amber of Syaoran's eyes. She resembled a China doll.

"Xiao Lang, Xiao Lang, Xiao Lang," she snickered and pounced on him. Sakura's admiration bubble popped.

"Why are you here?"

"Auntie wants you back," she stated, broke apart from the hug, and crossed her arms, "_now._"

"Now?" Syaoran repeated. "That's insane."

"Now. Tonight. Go. Hurry."

"Mei –"

"Li Xiao Lang!" she yelled and grasped his arm.

"Fine," Syaoran said and began climbing the steps. Sakura moved forward. "But what about, " he stopped and turned around, his eyes meeting Sakura's, "my fiancée?"

Meiling knocked quietly on the wall of the carriage. "You'll have nothing to worry about," she assured, giving the prince a nudge. Tomoyo squeezed Sakura on the shoulder.

"How long will he be gone?"

"Just a week," Meiling smiled at Sakura.

_Huh, _just_ a week?_ She sighed and stepped back. The carriage started to leave; the hooded followers went out of the way and bowed. Syaoran was looking out with not much concern when he spotted one of the servants reacting slower than the others. He then poked his head out to counted the number – 13. Meiling only has 12 people in her brigade, excluding herself.

_Princess Aishi?_

_--_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

_Wahh...craziness._

* * *

**From Heaven to Hell **- Chapter 7

* * *

"I am going to go help Eriol settle Meiling and her people down," said Tomoyo, smoothing her hair in front of the mirror. "Is that alright with you, Sakura-chan?"

"_Et tu_, Tomoyo?" asked Sakura as she watched her best friend scurry towards the exit of her room. They had the intention of going to bed after Syaoran left. "My fiancé just abandoned me."

"Sa-ku-ra-chan!"

"Only joking," Sakura put her hands up in the air when Tomoyo crossed her arms. "Don't take too long though."

"I won't," assured Tomoyo. She walked out the room and the door shut with a soft click.

And then there was one. Sakura let her legs dangle from the bed; her eyes at stared at the peach-colored carpet. _Totally…alone…_ she though, sighing and resting her chin in her palm. She began wondering about Syaoran. She didn't even say goodbye – would he have replied even if she did? Is he back home yet? Maybe if he finished the business ahead of time, he could return sooner! But what _was_ the business? Could it –

The door opened, snapping Sakura out of her curious alternate universe. It was one of Meiling's followers.

"Um, Meiling's not here," Sakura said. The casual mood changed when the hooded figure closed the door. "Are you lost?"

"No," the person replied, her voice more confident and more powerful than Sakura had expected. It sounded familiar as well. "I am simply returning to my nest."

"Your –?"

"Cradle, haven, whatever you want to call it," said the stranger. She sat down in a chair as if she owned the place. _Hold on,_ Sakura narrowed her eyes; the now unwanted guest pulled off the black hood. "I'm back."

A horrified gasp hissed from her mouth. "Aishi!"

--

Without much warning, Tomoyo stepped into a chaotic world: Meiling was screaming and running, grabbing every single follower of hers that crossed her path; the followers who weren't being examined by their freaked out boss were going all over the place. Eriol was the only person that was calm.

"Is there a snake on the loose in this room or something?" she asked, tugging his sleeve.

"It wouldn't be this crazy if there were," said Eriol, turning to Tomoyo. "From what I can gather, one of her maids is missing."

"I brought twelve with me! And now," Meiling shouted, jumping onto the top of a table, "there are merely – STOP MOVING – one, two, three…seven, eight… ten… eleven… twelve left? _What?_ I swear –"

"Miss, I think someone mixed in with us," said one of the followers, nodding to the person next to her. "I told Ah Xin so during our dinner break, but she said I was imagining things."

"No!" said Ah Xin as she removed her hood." I _counted_, and there were thirteen people, including Lady Meiling!"

"Well, you were wrong, I mean we didn't all sit around the fire and eat," said the first maid. "We were spread out. How would you know if some psycho didn't just tag along?"

"Enough," Meiling stomped her foot. "Ya Lian is right. There is an unfriendly spirit about, but she is no longer in this room."

Frowning, Tomoyo shifted with unease. "She is most likely still in this side of the castle," continued the Li princess. "I want you to find this intruder; she may be dangerous."

_Sakura-chan,_ Tomoyo panicked. "Eriol, I'm going back to Sakura's room!" she said and rushed out behind Meiling and her wave of maids, who also happened to be skilled female warriors.

"Wish you hadn't left so quickly, cousin," Eriol whispered, a grin of interest appeared.

--

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I thought that this 'while' was supposed to be longer," said Sakura. She felt a tightening knot form in her throat. It was the person who had betrayed her like no other. "Did you have a little fight with dear Robert?"

"Sakura, I know you're mad at me," Aishi said and got up. "And it's true that I was planning on leaving you in this…this hell, but –"

"Hell?" Sakura scoffed, backing up when Aishi tried to get near her. "You're wrong. It's like heaven here; you never bothered to notice that. You have wonderful clothes, sweet, helping maids, a gorgeous home, and you have a _dad_. Even the fiancé you tried so hard to avoid is great. Just because you look like me doesn't mean that you should be ignorant like me, Aishi."

"You are not ignorant, Sakura," Aishi lowered her eyes. _We envy each other,_ she thought with a pained smile. "I didn't come back to switch with you."

"You didn't?" asked Sakura; her voice was weak.

"There is something more important."

"That can hardly be possible, Your Highness."

"No one has called me that in some time. I'm not that used to it anymore…and I think there is," Aishi said and took Sakura by the hand. To her surprise, Sakura did not protest; her stomach wiggled with warmth – strange, it was, what trust could do. "You're willing to listen?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, didn't it?" Sakura replied as they sat down. "Although I'd like to know how you got in."

"Princess Meiling and her girls stopped at the market," explained Aishi." I took a cape from the clothing stall –"

"You _stole_?"

"No, the owner gave it to me," Aishi said. "After I put on the hood I snuck in their crowd; I'd heard that they were going to the castle from the conversation they had with Touya."

"Always the ladies' man," Sakura mumbled. "So if they hadn't stopped by, you wouldn't come here?"

"I still would."

"But why?"

"Sakura, you were saying that I'm lucky because I have a father," she stated. "But I think that is something we have in common."

"I know I have a father. I just don't know who he is."

"I do."

Aishi studied her twin; of course Sakura had no idea. She, herself, was still recovering from the shock. After all, it'd happened just that morning. How would Sakura react? If only there was an easier way. Then a tempting offer from the dark side tapped her on the shoulder. There certainly was an easier way – keep Sakura blinded from her true identity. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and there was no guarantee that Sakura would like the news.

"You know who my father is?" Sakura asked. It was not what she had expected. Her hands tightened around the handles of her chair. "Aishi was silent for a moment. The same queasy feeling she had the first time they talked returned. She was watching herself again. "Aishi?"

"I'm sorry, could you give me some time," she whispered; she sounded afraid and her eyes were flashing with confusion. Sakura nodded and rose for the tea set on the table next to her bed – or rather, Aishi's bed. It was funny how the bed that another person had slept in for almost two decades would seem so valuable and close to Sakura. When Aishi left it behind willingly, it had become like an abandoned kitten, an orphaned child, seeking for support; the bed had recognized Sakura as its new owner. Then it occurred to her as she was pouring the hot water. Aishi didn't care about the two worlds, at least not like Sakura did. Sakura was trying to kill two birds with one stone, but she knew that it wouldn't work. They would both fly away unless Sakura chose one over the other.

Sakura looked back at Aishi, who was tapping her chin and concentrating very hard. _Is she trying to make something up or is she trying to decide whether or not she's going to tell me about my dad?_ Sakura wondered. She saw her reflection in the tea and groaned. She was seeing herself everywhere.

Sakura took the tray and set it on the table between them – it was sugarcoating the tension. "That's a nice bracelet," Aishi spoke up, eyeing the charm on Sakura's wrist.

"Yeah," she agreed softly. "Your fiancé gave it to me."

"Ouch," Aishi laughed. "I think he's _your_ fiancé now."

"I'm not Princess Aishi."

"So he still doesn't know…"

The door burst open and Meiling strode in. Aishi gasped and put on the hood. "Lady Meiling!" she cried and stood up.

"Oh, don't you 'Lady Meiling' me," said Meiling. "I got all my twelve lovely side-kicks with me, so guess what? You're getting out of here!"

"Sakura-chan! I got lost but – oh my," a shocked Tomoyo stopped at the entrance. The twelve un-hooded followers let her through.

Aishi made a run for the window; she unhooked the lock and pushed it open. The crispy night wind gushed in. "Get her!" Meiling yelled and her warriors charged.

Standing at the brink, Aishi turned around and shouted at Sakura. "You might be a real princess!"

And then she jumped.

* * *

The pinging of glass and the clinging of silverware jingled in the dining hall. "Pass the sugar please," Tomoyo murmured to Eriol. It had been three days after Aishi escaped from the castle. King Fujitaka punished the soldiers for not guarding the gates properly, and urged for a heavier security.

"I still can't believe it," Meiling said and poured some syrup on her pancakes. "With the speed and agility, she would've made a fine addition to my squad."

Sakura choked on her milk and laughed nervously. "Meiling," she said. "What is Syaoran doing back in the Li Kingdom?"

"To be honest," Meiling said, dabbing the corner of her mouth with her napkin, "I don't know. My Aunt Yelan just asked me to come here and get Xiao Lang."

"Which means that something is up," said Eriol.

"_Exactly,_" Meiling grinned.

--

"King Fujitaka and you did what?" Syaoran slammed his fist on the table.

"Xiao Lang, _please_," said Queen Yelan, putting down the calligraphy brush. She waved for the Er Hu player to stop playing the song. "It'll be good for you and Aishi."

"A week of separation won't bring us closer together, Mother," said Syaoran. "I was worried that someone was sick."

"That's sweet, my son," the queen said as she gazed at the beautiful garden in front of her. "Have you told Aishi that you love peonies?"

"How is that relevant to this conversation?"

"Talking back? Now that's something we don't teach here."

"I apologize, Mother."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, dear," said Yelan. "Remember that."

"I will keep that in mind," Syaoran nodded.

"Good," Yelan smiled and began to walk away. "By the way, do you know what Aishi's favorite flower is?"

"Cherry blossoms, I guess."

"You _guess_?" she asked and shook her head.

_They should be, right? She's always hanging around the tree in the garden,_ he thought, gazing at the peonies.

"I suppose I'll just ask her when I get back," he whispered. And even though Syaoran wouldn't admit it, he looked forward to seeing his fiancée again.

* * *

**Note:** Sneaky parents Haha. Review please! :) Thanks Cheeseycraziness for pointing out a major mistake.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Eriol checked his pocket watch. It would be noon soon. He stood a few feet away from the crowd on his right; two soldiers were holding up a large "Welcome Back!" sign. King Fujitaka suggested a "We Missed You!" one, but the princess objected the idea. He turned to look at the princess and Tomoyo, who were huddling some couple yards away from his left next to the gate.

"Tomoyo-chan, the sun looks like it's setting. They said that he'd be here around lunch time! It seems like it's been forever since we had breakfast. Do you see anything?" the princess ran on and on, stretching her neck and squinting her eyes. "What if they got lost? You know how confusing the roads can be. And what if the horses were hungry and they let them go in the woods to eat but they ran off, leaving the carriages _horseless_? Or worse, what if they got robbed! What if –"

"They'll be here! _He_ will be here," Tomoyo squeezed the princess' hand. "And I promise that we won't have to wait here until the end of the decade, Sakura-chan."

There it was again. "Sakura-chan." It was heard on the night of the intrusion when Tomoyo raced off to "Sakura's" room. Eriol made the mistake of going to the maids' lounge, thinking that Tomoyo went to find a servant of that name. When he heard that the incident happened in Princess Aishi's room, his suspicions rose. The faked illiteracy revealed by Bloss flashed in his mind. _Sakura, Sakura – that is a _strange_ nickname,_ Eriol frowned.

"Look! Up on the hill!" Meiling gasped, pointing and jumping up and down.

Sakura clasped her hands together. It was him, it was Prince Li! Or at least it was his carriage. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the horses neighed and stopped right in front of her. _Good horse,_ she smiled and touched the face of the one closest to her. The door opened; Sakura jerked her head in the direction of the sound of the turning handle. The crowd cheered and waved the banner with enthusiasm.

Syaoran stepped out. He surveyed the people in front of him, searching for a face. The auburn hair, peachy complexion, and emerald eyes came together before him. "Princess," he nodded at her and walked away. Sakura stared at his back. The soldiers and maids circled him and threw confetti as they walked towards the castle. Meiling caught up and tried to squeeze in, but was continuously squeezed out.

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Go back to Eriol."

"Nice try, but I'm not leaving you right now. He'll live."

"Tomoyo-chan, he is obviously falling apart inside," said Sakura. "He just doesn't want you to worry."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. They locked arms and headed after everyone else. Lunch was calling.

--

"Is this a sanctuary of yours?"

"Huh?" Sakura looked up. The amber eyes bore into her green ones.

"You hang around this cherry blossom tree a lot," said Syaoran.

"Well, I like cherry blossoms," said Sakura. "My name – um, has nothing to do with anything. And to tell you the truth, I've been coming here more often after you left – but that has nothing to do with…um…"

"So, did you miss me?" Syaoran asked playfully and sat down next to her. Sakura blushed and turned the other way. Syaoran's grin disappeared. The scene of the night he left replayed once again. He was sure that he had seen Princess Aishi – _another_ Princess Aishi, and she was in Meiling's trademark cape.

"_Meiling, you say that there was an intruder?" Syaoran stood up from his chair._

"_Yeah, and she jumped out of the window just to escape," said Meiling, using her hands to demonstrate._

"_Did you see her face?"_

"_No, but –"_

"_How could you not see her face?"_

"_She was _fast_, Xiao Lang, even I am willing to admit that. You should go and ask your sweet, sweet love."_

"_Meiling."_

"_What? She was kind of held captive. Maybe she saw the person's face."_

"_And you're sure that it was a woman?"_

"_Positive," said Meiling. "She said something right before jumping, something like 'You might be a real princess!'"_

_Syaoran's frown deepened. Eriol, who had been standing at the side, perked up. "I have something to talk to you about."_

"_What is wrong with you two?" Meiling grunted. "All this talking business – can't we go have lunch first? I've done enough waiting."_

Sakura twirled her hair. "Why would I miss you?" she let out a fake laugh. "I needed a break from you."

"Break's over, my – heh, sweet, sweet love," said Syaoran, quoting the Li princess.

"…Hoee…?"

"I have no idea why I said that," Syaoran groaned, burying his face in his hands.

He peeped at his fiancée through his fingers. She was poking at the petals on the ground with a stick. _Could you be any odder?_ He wondered and chuckled. Sakura's eyes brightened and stared at Syaoran. He cleared his throat and straightened up, pretending that nothing happened. Shrugging, Sakura returned to her strange activity.

"Princess Aishi?" he nudged her gently. "I heard that you got captured by that intruder."

"In my own room? That's not being captured," Sakura said, her body tense. She had not expected the subject to come up. "What I mean is, yes, I-I was."

"Then you must have seen her face..."

_Augh, I can't believe this,_ Sakura winced. "Sorry, but I didn't," she said in the softest voice.

Syaoran sighed. _She's lying._ "Alright, I just hope that you'll feel better – it must've scared you," he said and got up. "Well, I'd better get going."

"Where are you going?"

"Eriol wanted to tell me something," he replied.

It was Sakura's turn to sigh. For the second time that day she was left to watch his back. She saw the falling pieces of pink land around her like snow in the spring, carpeting the grass. It was beautiful, but sad. The petals have left its safe home on the branches, forced by the seemingly benevolent wind. They now lie on the earth, surrounded by strange things, vulnerable; they could be crushed if Sakura decided to stand up and walk. They would dry up anyway – they died the moment they fell. _Am I dead?_ Sakura felt her face. It was warm and it was young, but she was a mess. She looked over at the spot where Syaoran had sat. The petals had occupied. "Looks like it's just you and me," she said, patting the lonely batch of softness next to her, and shut her eyes.

--

The bell rang, indicating that someone had entered the room. "Sorry, but we're closed," said an old man with a big fluffy beard. He was putting away wooden dolls onto one of the shelves.

"This early, Uncle John?" asked Aishi, smiling as she placed the basket on the counter. The old man turned around and adjusted his spectacles.

"Ah, Sakura," said Uncle John. "Haven't you been here just yesterday?"

"That's possible," Aishi laughed. "We've been doing really well, so there is a lot of fresh and delicious food available and we didn't want them to go bad."

"Great news for this, eh?" he said and slapped his beer belly. "Robert should be somewhere out in the back. Bring him a slice of bread."

"Okay, sir," she grabbed one and ran into the yard. Robert put down the hammer in his hand and smiled.

"Princess!"

"Shh, not so loud," Aishi placed a finger over her lips.

"Why? You've been acting so weird this week," said Robert. "Is something wrong?"

"Robert, I want you to keep a calm state –"

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Please work with me here," Aishi stomped her foot in frustration. "Um – okay, it's like this –" Robert scoffed "– I don't think that we should leave."

"What? Leave?"

"Yeah, you know. The plan."

"Are you suggesting that we abandon it?"

'No, I just need to –"

"Take care of your double? Make sure that she won't cry?"

"She's my _twin_, Robert."

"Funny, very funny."

"We look exactly the same," said Aishi. "Think about it."

"It doesn't matter, we have to leave here," Robert said.

"I want to tell her the truth."

"You're not telling her anything, _Your Highness._"

"Robert!"

"What about our dream? I thought you were tired of that place," he asked. "If you take one step out of line, everything will be ruined."

"But she doesn't have to tell the king. She'll know that she's a princess and it'd be fine to marry the prince."

"And if she doesn't want to?"

"They have a connection," Aishi sighed, looking straight into Robert's eyes. "I could tell."

"How? How could you tell?" he demanded. "You haven't seen…her…_no_, you –"

"I went to the castle a couple days ago."

"_You're_ the person who broke in? Oh wow, this is unbelievable. What else was done?"

Aishi crossed her arms. "I think the biggest mistake I've made was to come for you," she said as she started to leave. "And I'm going to correct it."

--

Syaoran and Eriol strolled around the lake where the prince usually did his morning trainings. The sun was low in the sky, ready to hide for the night. He paused in his steps when he saw the oak tree. He hadn't seen it since he left; he had so much fun teaching the princess read that morning.

"Eriol, what do you think?" he asked; his eyes remained on the tree.

"I say that we have a fake Princess Aishi in the castle," Eriol said. "And the real one might be dead."

"If she was dead, they must have disposed of the corpse already," Syaoran concluded, "which means that there's no way to prove this whole thing."

"And you'll be marrying a murderess or murder accomplice."

"How delightful," said Syaoran, raising his eyebrows. "Eriol, let's get serious."

"For a second there I thought you were," Eriol said, his glasses shining like his eyes under the sunlight. "But yes, we should."

"I propose that we go to that town again."

"The one with the nobility convention."

"Hiiragizawa," said Syaoran in a dangerous voice.

"So, we go and –?"

"I don't know," Syaoran whispered. "I do know, however, that it plays a crucial part in this little tale."

"Are you going to talk to the princess about this?"

"Confront her? No, not yet, but I will."

--

"Father, may I come in?"

"Aishi, please, make yourself comfortable," King Fujitaka waved his hand after putting down the pen. "It's nice to see something else other than all these horrible papers."

"What are you signing?" asked Sakura as she took a seat.

"Just a few papers," said King Fujitaka. "Would you like to help? You can stamp the papers next to my signatures."

"Sounds like fun," Sakura giggled and took the heavy marble stamp. "Like this?"

"That's correct," Fujitaka nodded and smiled. "Why don't you come and sit next to me? It would be easier that way."

Sakura grabbed her chair and moved it next to the king's chair. She was just about to sit down when the picture frame on the corner of the king's desk caught her eye. _Mom?_

"Father," she began, her shaky finger pointing at the picture. "Who is that?"

"Uh," he stammered; it was something Sakura thought he didn't know how to do. "She – is my mother."

_That is the biggest lie I've ever heard,_ Sakura thought.

"She is my grandmother," she stated in a passive voice.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, dinner is served," Mikkou stepped in and curtseyed.

_Dinner is _always_ served when something important is about to happen,_ Sakura thought as she followed the king out the door. _How does he know my mother?_ Hundreds of questions zipped through her mind on the way down to the dining hall.

"Sakura-chan," a little peep came from behind her and startled her.

"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura kept her voice down as she turned to her best friend. "Why are you shaking?"

"No reason," Tomoyo shook her head. "Let's just go eat, okay?"

"Okay…"

"What happened?" asked Syaoran, staring after the two girls. Tomoyo was dragging Princess Aishi like she was trying to get away from something. "Well, Eriol?"

"I just tried to hold her hand."

Eriol checked his pocket watch. It would be six o'clock soon, and he couldn't smudge the grin off his face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

_It was raining. Fujitaka twisted the royal scroll in his hands. He looked out the little window of the kitchen; the palace seemed so small from the view. The four blooming cherry blossom trees were battered in the stormy weather, its petals blown away one after the other._

"_Prince, I would shut the darned windows if I were you," said Gerard, his servant. "Ghastly weather…just what we needed. Your Highness? Are you alright?"_

"_Yes, Gerard, I'm quite fine," he turned around. "It's this."_

"_The scroll? Why, what does it say?"_

"_In three weeks time, I' will no longer be a prince –"_

"_Your Highness! That's wonder-"_

"_I will be king," Fujitaka finished in a whisper; the thunder roared outside._

_A look of comprehension dawned on his face. Gerard kept his voice low. "It's the girl, isn't it/"_

"_She is no simple girl."_

"_Well, obviously – to have earned the affections of a prince, or should I say, king."_

"_You're not making this any easier, Gerard."_

"_My apologies, Your Highness."_

"_What is he not making easier?" a gentle voice asked. They looked to the door._

_And then she walked in._

Fujitaka sat up, sweat rolling down his face. His breath was heavy. He shut his eyes tightly and opened them again. The objects in the room were taking form in the darkness. A lightning flashed and the king jerked. _Seventeen years…_

"What is the date today?" Fujitaka asked the maid that was refilling his goblet. Outside, the dew and rain puddles glistened under the rays of morning sun.

"The 20th of May, Your Majesty," the maid replied. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Sakura paused her chewing for a moment and put down her fork. She moved her fingers and counted in her mind. _It's today,_ she thought and swallowed her food. "Father, you've been asking for the date a lot recently," she said.

"There's an important day coming up, and I wanted to make sure that I don't miss it," he said. "It's hard to keep track myself…there is too much to do."

Eriol kicked Syaoran under the table. The prince gave his friend a confused look while he held his shin. "Start a conversation," Eriol breathed.

"So, um, Princess, did you sleep well last night?" Syaoran asked as he returned the blow to Eriol's leg. "With the thunderstorm and all."

"I got woken up a couple of times," Sakura replied. "And I ended up going to Tomoyo's room."

"There was a huge storm the same time last week," Eriol chimed in. Fujitaka stared in his direction. That was the night of the dream. "Do you get a lot of rain here in this kingdom? In the little town near that hill?"

"Only occasionally, but…" Sakura stopped. Eriol leaned forward a bit. "Which town?"

_You know which one,_ Eriol thought. "The one you visited about a month ago. The one with…_Sakura_, I think it was?"

"I think it still _is_," Sakura frowned. She felt nervous all of a sudden. Was he interrogating her?

"As long as you slept well," Syaoran interrupted. Eriol was going too straightforward and fast. It's been a month already since he met his fiancée for the second time, and just a while ago he just found out that the girl might not be the princess at all. It made sense, though. He laughed at himself for starting to like her. _You tell me not to call you Aishi, but what _can_ I call you if _you_ don't tell me your real name? _Syaoran stole a glance at the princess, who was giggling with Tomoyo. He wished for her to be the real deal, but he also wished that she wasn't.

"Father, may we be excused?" Sakura stood up. Tomoyo followed.

"Sure," Fujitaka nodded. The three men in the room watched after them until they left the room.

Sakura held Tomoyo's hand as they stopped by the oak tree. "It's alright," Tomoyo said before Sakura could open her mouth. "You can come with me. I'll go ask the king in a couple hours, okay?"

"You know me the best, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura smiled and gave her cousin a bear hug. She gazed up at the sky. Beneath the gorgeous blue and beyond the stainless clouds, trouble was stirring. Tears found their way to the corner of her emerald eyes. In the town a couple miles away, a man was peering into the same eyes.

"Are you going to the cemetery today?" Touya asked his sister.

"Uh – what for?" Aishi said. She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and wiped her soapy hands on her apron.

Touya narrowed his eyes. "Is something wrong?" asked Aishi.

"No, I – go on and wash the cloths," he ruffled her hair and walked back to the house. Aishi felt great. The simple life was being very nice to her. _Sakura looked happy the last time I saw her,_ she thought. _At least before I showed up._

"Sakura, honey, we have a boy here for you," Sonomi called out from the inside. Aishi got up and started for the kitchen. She went into the living room and saw her aunt – she really _was_ related to her – pouring some tea for the "boy."

_Robert…_

"Auntie, would you mind? I want to talk to him in private," Aishi fidgeted with her fingers while smiling. Sonomi nodded and left; she looked sad.

"Princess," Robert stood up and whispered.

"Don't call me that in the house. In fact, you shouldn't even be here. What do you want?"

"I came here to apologize."

"Why don't we take this elsewhere?"

--

Eriol patted Syaoran on the back. The prince spun around and glowered at him. "What was that at breakfast?"

"We need answers, Syaoran, your wedding is in less than two months," said Eriol. "I don't think it'd be good if you married-"

"Who knew that you could judge people?" Syaoran raised his voice. "I don't care if she's not a princess."

"There's a chance that she _is_ a princess, but-"

"Eriol, she's a kind person. You're a kind person – most of the time anyway. If my parents looked at you as an abandoned, poor, and lonely child-"

"And here I thought you looked up to me."

"-they wouldn't have taken you in. Sometimes positions don't matter."

"I'm just worried about you."

"…I appreciate the thought but please, don't ever say that again." Syaoran shuddered. "Do you know where she is?"

Eriol smirked. "She went to tow. Apparently the princess wanted to have lunch with Tomoyo's family."

"I guess we have no choice," Syaoran sighed.

"This engagement is actually exciting," Eriol said.

The two of them went down the stairs and walked towards the gate. Syaoran waved to his servans. "Prepare the horses; we're going on a trip."

--

The carriage pulled over in front of the house. Molly's jaw dropped along with the bouncy ball that she was playing with. When the door swung open, Tomoyo was the first to come out. The little girl ran up and clang on to Tomoyo's dress as she held her breath. "Princess Aishi…" she uttered; Molly was astonished as the princess stepped down, her big sun hat covering her face.

"Go tell mom we have a very special guest for lunch today," Tomoyo bent down and winked at Molly.

"I missed this place _so_ much," Sakura whispered after Molly ran back inside. She picked up the ball and blew the dirt off of it. "Haven't touched this thing since I gave it to her when she was four."

"You make it sound like you're been gone for twenty years," Tomoyo laughed as they entered the house.

"It seems like it; you have no idea," Sakura grumbled. She sat down in the cozy couch and stretched. "Time sort of stops in the caslte."

"My goodness, Princess Aishi!" Sonomi cried while she zipped down the stairs; it still creaked like crazy, Sakura noted. "I can't say how honored we are to have here!"

Sakura wanted to throw away the hat and jump into her aunt's arms, but she held back. "I'm happy to be here," she said. "It's where two of my close friends grew up."

"Well, to tell you the truth, we can't – um, keep you company all day," Sonomi said with unease. "It's a – it's kind of a special day today."

_Yeah, it is,_ Sakura thought. It was Nadeshiko's birthday.

"It's fine, mom," Tomoyo urged. "She only has time to have lunch here anyway."

"Great," Sonomi exclaimed. "Alright, you girls just sit, I'll go get the lunch. Good thing I have extra food to prepare."

"She's making a fresh cake, isn't she?" Sakura asked. Sonomi always made food for Nadeshiko right before they visited the grave. It usually took hours and Nadeshiko wouldn't get to "eat" till dusk.

"Yup," Tomoyo smiled. "It'll have strawberries."

"Mom would love it…"

"Do you want me to go with you after lunch?"

"I'll be okay by myself."

--

"How's the pie?" Sonomi asked as she watched Sakura put the last bit in her mouth.

"Different," Sakura said. She had too much royal food. "But _delicious_."

"Mommy, where's Sakura?" Molly chirped while licking the remains of the fried chicken off her fingers.

Tomoyo and Sakura exchanged glances. _I'm right here…_

"She went somewhere with that boy from Uncle John's."

"I don't like him."

_Neither do I,_ Sakura nodded.

"Princess, should we go?" Tomoyo asked. "Mother, I'll drop her off and come back."

"I guess," said Sakura. She got up but paused in the process when the other three stood up along with her. "Um…thank for you for lunch, Mrs. Daidouji."

"Feel free to come over more," Sonomi said, walking her daughter and the princess to the door. A lump formed in Sakura's throat.

"Would you like to come to my wedding?" she began. "It's on July – Sakura."

Aishi was about five feet away from the entrance. She was shocked. "Y-your Highness…"

"Sorry, we can't say and chat," Sakura said and lowered her hat even more. She walked past Aishi and pointed at her apron. "That line is still untied. You might want to…cut it."

Aishi reached for the bow on her back – it was loose. As she turned around, her eyes met Robert's. _"So you're just going to cut off loose ends?"_ Sakura's voice rang inside her head.

"Oh, what have I done?"

--

Sakura bade good-bye to Tomoyo before venturing out to the field. The palace was visible from the cemetery – it seemed like you couldsee the thing anywhere. It was a long journey up the large, broad, and grassy hill. There was only one tree in sight, and that was the tree they planted when Nadeshiko was put to rest. She started a light jog towards the tree but slowed down when she saw someone else standing there. _King Fujitaka?_

She gasped; it was odd to see him without his cape. So odd that she almost didn't recognize him. "Father, what are you doing here?" she asked as she approached him. "Is that – uh, my grandmother?"

"Aishi, you scared me," Fujitaka chuckled. "Yes, it is. It's her birthday."

_He knows my mom, where she's buried, _and_ her birthday?_

"Come, say happy birthday to her," he said and smiled. "She would like that."

"Happy birthday," she whispered. _Mom…_

She watched her "father" kneel down in front of the grave stone. "Father, I'm going to go, is that alright?" she asked softly. Fujitaka didn't reply but his silence was as loud as an actual "yes." She departed and made her way to the road. The carriage was waiting on the side, and to her surprise, Syaoran was waiting there.

"Prince Li?"

"I came to pick you up," he said. "And from now on, call me Syaoran. If you want, I mean. You have the option…"

"_Let's say that she isn't Princess Aishi," Eriol proposed when they were heading to the town in the carriage. "We'll need a name."_

"_Obviously."_

"_To get a name, we can start by having you let her call you Syaoran. She would feel guilty if she was allowed to call you by your real name, and then she would tell you _hers_."_

"_You come up with the craziest plans."_

"_That _do_ work," Eriol grinned. He looked out the window after giving a light punch on the prince's shoulder. "Hey, isn't that your fiancée?"_

"I-I can?" Sakura was delighted – she had no idea why, though.

"Yeah. We _are_ going to spend the rest of our lives together."

"True," Sakura pouted. "…Shaoran."

Syaoran smiled. "Close enough. Come on, let's go."

**Note:** Will Eriol's plan work? Haha, I think so. Next chapter, Sakura will have a little "chat" with Syaoran!

By the way, today _is_ May 20th :D Magical magical


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

When a person is allocated in front of a door, what is expected of that person? Sakura tilted her head; it was a very big door. _I guess I should knock, _she thought and took in a big breath.

"Come in," the resident of the room announced shortly after her fist met the fine cherry wood.

"Shaoran!" she chirped and poked her head into the room. It had a foreign feel – the Lee taste, perhaps. There was a lot green furniture as well, and, combined with the bare wooden floor, it was like being in a tree. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No," her fiancé replied. He looked up and smiled while he put the sword and the piece of cloth away. "I was just cleaning my sword."

Sakura plopped down in the chair next to his. "I hope you weren't wiping blood off of that."

"What would you do if I was?"

"I'd scream and run away, but I have to accept you for who you are," she pouted, "And for whatever is on your sword."

"If you must, check my rag," Syaoran said, dangling the dirty thing in front of Sakura's face.

"I don't like the way you play, Prince."

"Me neither, sometimes. So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"It's been a while since my last reading lesson," Sakura mumbled in a soft manner. She eyed the bookshelf in the corner – if he had that much book in a guest room he stayed in, one could only imagine the amount in his real room.

"You're right," Syaoran said and got up. He walked to the cradle of knowledge and dug around in the books. "Where is that – here it is. I hope you remember where we stopped."

Sakura took the book from Syaoran's hands and laid it down in her lap. She looked up at the prince, her eyes suddenly filled with uncertainty. "Shaoran, why don't we read a book I brought?" she asked and revealed the novel that she hid under her sleeve.

"I don't mind," Syaoran muttered, confusion playing its way across his face. He took his seat while eyeing the thin, red book. There was no title on the cover. "What is it about?"

He watched Sakura doodle on the red with her finger, and his curiosity went up even more. Silence was usually his thing, but the quiet was making him uncomfortable. "Well," she opened her mouth. "I've only heard part of this story.

"It started out with a girl who lived in a big, dazzling mansion with her grandfather. When he passed away, she was only sixteen. Sad and broken, she left her home and moved to a small but prosperous village. There, she found her cousin and settled down.

"A year or two later, she gave birth to a boy. The father rarely showed himself, but she didn't mind. Time passed, and she soon had a daughter.

"The daughter," she glanced at Syaoran, "was named Sakura."

--

Mixed with the gentle warmth of spring were sprinkles of hot summer air; Touya grunted as the small armies of unwelcome heat charged at him whenever a breeze swept by. With each push at the stubborn water pump, squeals of delight from the village girls gushed out along with the liquid.

"Show's over, ladies. Come back tomorrow," he said, picking up the two buckets. The girls groaned and left – slowly, of course, because they wanted to savior every last glance at the man before watching him in action the next day.

"You know, one of these days you're going to marry one of them," Sonomi said with a sigh as she walked towards Touya.

"Be glad to know that it's not today or tomorrow."

"I'll be glad when you get yourself a family," said Sonomi. She unfolded a piece of paper that she was holding onto. "Here's a list of things the castle ordered. Do you think you could get them all delivered by next week?"

Touya put the water down in a shaded area, massaged his shoulder a bit and got the paper from his aunt. He skimmed through the items and nodded. "I think I can."

"That's good, but don't rush, alright? It's for the big wedding," Sonomi picked one of the buckets up and looked towards the market place. "We should get going. Tomoyo can never handle the bargaining ladies too well."

"Isn't Sakura helping?"

"She did for a while…"

"Che, I just hope she isn't with that Robert boy again."

"Touya, there's nothing to worry about. She's just being nice; Sakura's completely aware of his special condition."

_Is she?_ Touya wondered as he watched the ripples in the water distort his reflection. If only the passion of summer couldn't chase away the innocence of spring.

--

"Princess, have some apples."

"You'd thing running away together would make us closer, and yet you _still_ call me princess," said Aishi, frowning. Robert chuckled and put the plate next to her before sitting back down.

"Have you forgotten? We _haven't_ run away," he said as he fetched for his sculpting knife. "And what's the deal – when are we leaving?"

"I was thinking," Aishi twirled a strand of hair thoughtfully, "we could go after the wedding."

"That's almost two months from now! I don't think I can wait. Something will go wrong if we keep pushing our departure back, I just know it."

"…"

"What about next week?" Robert asked. "You'll have time to say good bye to those fake relatives of yours, and I'll –"

"They aren't fake," Aishi pushed the plate of apples away. "I'm the one who's fake."

Robert closed his eyes for a brief moment, calming himself down; they've been fighting way too much. "Look," he said, his voice gentle once more, "Aishi, I know how much you're sacrificing."

"Don't say that," Aishi whispered and locked her face behind her fingers. "Don't pretend you understand."

"Fine, I won't. Just remember, you ripped up your family, wealth, status, and home – your whole _life_, like a piece of paper for me," he said, taking a fragile wooden board and crushing it. Aishi held her breath. "You can find a better one with me, or," he grabbed a bowl of glue mixture, "you can piece the thing back together, keeping in mind that it'll never be in the same condition it was before."

"Or," Aishi sighed and pulled her chair closer to his, "I will think about it this week and give you my answer the next."

"Sounds good."

Smiling, Aishi laid her head on his shoulder. "Do you think you could make me something? I want to give it to Sakura – not _in person_. Gosh, relax."

--

"S-Sakura?" Syaoran repeated. "Are you telling me the life story of your _friend_?"

She shook her head firmly. The prince let out a laugh of disbelief and reached for the little red book. "What kind of person is vain enough to write a book about her life?"

He flipped to the first page. The bewildered complexion evolved into a quintessence of shock when his eyes fell onto the picture. It wasn't the beauty of it that amazed him, absolutely not – the thing was just a child's snack time drawing of a chicken. He turned to the next page, its contents matching the previous picture: a flower and what seemed to be a house. "It's not a book without pictures…?" he mumbled to himself.

"Sakura's baby cousin drew that," said Sakura, pointing at the colorful blobs on the pages. Syaoran stared at her; the way she looked at the pictures, it was so gentle and full of adoration.

"She gave it to her on the day the, um, princess went to town."

"You mean…when _you_ went."

She didn't respond; instead, she kept on examining the works of "art" as if she was waiting for something alive to parade out.

"…Who knew Sakura would be chosen? Who knew Sakura even existed?" she whispered.

Syaoran saw the artist's skill improve as he ventured deeper into the book. The child was growing up, and the things she saw were getting more complicated. From a triangle as a roof and a square with two squares inside as the windows, and a rectangle as the door, to the appearance of a chimney, some bricks, and the shadows to make the house seem realistic – Syaoran began to wonder which was more beautiful. Sakura reached for the cloth with which the prince cleaned the sword. She smiled; there was no blood.

"Sakura thought, why her of all people?"

– A picture of a dove in a red wheel barrel –

"Princesses are kind of selfish, she soon realized."

– A couple bunnies; one of them was eating a carrot –

"But so was she. She wanted to have _fun._"

– Books, some pencils, and crooked letters scribbled in the corner –

"And besides, she told herself, it was a win-win situation."

– Blank pages –

"It was for _love,_ what the princess was doing."

– A castle. The Kinomoto castle. –

"What could go wrong?"

– The princess's room from the view of a person who was standing at the door, too timid to go in. –

"So, her dream came true."

– Princess Aishi. A self-portrait? No... –

"She became a princess, kind of like her mom."

Syaoran stopped in the middle of turning a page. The face of Princess Aishi stared back at him; she was the house with the chimney, bricks, and shadows.

"It all turned out to be a nightmare, though."

_Turn, Syaoran._

"Then something happened. A miracle happened."

_What are you afraid of?_

"Sakura found her prince."

The grumpy face, messy chestnut hair – the artist had erased what she had previously and redrew the eyes, the _soft_, amber eyes. Syaoran was staring at Syaoran. He looked back at the girl in front of him, the cozy home made up of a triangle, two squares, and a rectangle.

"…Sakura…"

Finally.

* * *

**Note:** The ending reminds me of Fergie's song, Finally. xD Syaoran finally knows that Sakura is Sakura I hope you liked the little revelation! Three more chapters and this thing is done :( Touya's going to the castle...Robert has "problems" apparently...and what's Syaoran going to do about Sakura?


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

* * *

She stood alone on the little bridge over the creek that ran through the West Garden, the princess. Bloss was skulking about, ready to eat the food she smuggled out, when she saw her – just up there, looking all gorgeous with her chin resting in her palm. _I knew I should have gone to the East one,_ she thought, stuffing her bread back under her sleeve. Any normal servant would have wondered, "Hey, what's Her Royal Highness doing out at this hour by her-royal-self?" Not Bloss, though. Oh, did she know that princess: as a figure approached her with a bouquet of flowers, Bloss knew she was right. Prince Li and Princess Aishi were at another one of their fiancé-to-fiancée meet again; the two seemed to have already said their vows on their own time, and they were stuck happily together like white on rice. It's been going on for a week, their intimate behavior, and Bloss doubted that it would end any time soon. Shrugging, she decided not to stay behind for a loving conversation between the two and started back towards the castle.

"Shaoran, you made it!"

"Aah," he smiled and thrust forward the flowers. "I'm a little bit late…"

"Freesia and peonies," Sakura exclaimed with delight. "Neither is native to the Kinomoto land. They are beautiful, Shaoran. Thanks!"

"I, heh, had Meiling go back to Li to get some," Syaoran said, leaning against the wooden rail. "She just got back; there was a storm back home."

"I hope she gets a good rest then," said Sakura as she hugged the bouquet tighter. "After all that trouble – Meiling is so kind."

"That's my cousin," Syaoran chuckled. He found his arm wrapping itself comfortably around her tiny waist. "You're too skinny, Sakura. You should eat more."

"It's not my fault that they serve in such small portions here," Sakura gave him a stubborn nudge. "I wish I could take you to have lunch with me at my house. You'll never be the same again."

"The food is _that_ good?" said Syaoran, sounding incredulous.

"They prepare it with a different kind of love there…the simple kind."

"Sounds delicious."

"See?" she giggled. Sakura tugged absent-mindedly at a petal as she gazed at the silver ripples in the creek when a soft gust of wind dashed by. "Ne, Shaoran, since we're talking about…homes and houses – if we get married, where will we live?"

Syaoran was silent for a moment; bit by bit, he let go of his grip around her. "Well," he said, both hands now on the rail. "_When_ we get married, I suppose my parents will expect us to go back. To Li, that is."

"Who will take are of the Kinomoto land in the future? After my fa – no, the king…"

"Why are you worried about this all of a sudden?"

"It's just, ever since I told you who I am, I'm scared that –"

"You'll make a habit out of spilling your secret?" Syaoran asked, pushing a strand of Sakura's hair back.

"You never know…I hadn't really _planned_ on telling you," she said, letting out a wry laugh.

"I'm glad you did," whispered Syaoran.

_Me too,_ she smiled and looked up at him. He leaned in; Sakura's eyes widened with elated surprise. Not once in her 18 years of life had she been so close to a man's face…

_Shaoran…_

- -

"Kyaaa!"

"Tomoyo, not so loud!" Sakura panicked and put a finger to her lips, motioning for her best friend to shush up. The soldiers checking the horses' straddles turned at them with their expressions quite bewildered; Sakura nodded at them. "You keep working hard! Ehe…"

"You _kissed_," Tomoyo breathed, fanning herself for air.

"Yes, yes – so?"

"You kissed the Prince of Li!" Tomoyo squealed.

"It's no big deal," Sakura muttered and tried to block the soldiers' views with the carriage door. She was about to see her cousin off when she revealed the news. "I'm not a _little_ girl…and – and he's my fiancé. You should be saying, 'Well, it's about time!'"

"And it certainly is," said a male voice. Sakura spun around, her heart thumping around inside her chest like a mad cow.

"Eriol!" she gasped as she bowed at them. "Why are you here?"

"I kind of want to visit Tomoyo' s home," he said. "She said it'd be fine."

Sakura stepped away from the entrance and watched him climb in. _Has Shaoran told him about me?_ She wondered.

"See you in a few days, Sakura," Tomoyo waved from the small window.

"Tell Syaoran where I'm going to, would you, Princess Aishi?" Eriol said, smiling.

_I guess not…_she bit her lip. "Y-yeah," she gave a little wave as the carriage began to depart. When it was out of sight, Mikkou stepped up and asked to escort her back to the palace. "Alright, let's go."

The carriage bumped its way to the village on the rocky road; Eriol and Tomoyo didn't leave any mercy for silence and talked almost nonstop. They debated about the weather – Eriol had warned her to prepare for an upcoming storm, which would be moving away from Li and heading to Kinomoto. Tomoyo brought up interesting clips of history about her hometown, and Eriol countered that with his personal anecdotes. The soldiers up front couldn't help but overhear the miniature battle going on inside the carriage. Intense as their talk was, the two were, in the end, just bonding. Eccentric boy meets intelligent girl.

"We've arrived," Tomoyo laughed as the carriage came to a halt. "I can't believe that duke thought you were the Prince of Li."

"Syaoran was grumpy all night that time; couldn't figure out why though," Eriol opened the door for her.

"Mm, I think it's around lunch time," Tomoyo said, stretching herself after the journey.

"I think you're right," he pointed at the chimney.

"Come on," she said and walked past the soldiers to her house. "Thanks for taking us. You can go to the back and give the horses some water. If you want, stay for lunch!"

"That's quite alright, Miss," one of them said. "We'll take care of the carriage and, uh, go for a walk around town. Master Eriol, we'll be back to pick you up."

"Good, go enjoy yourselves," Eriol said with a smile.

Following Tomoyo's footsteps, Eriol entered the Daidouji house. It was – there really wasn't another word for this – lovely, almost like something out of a fairytale. Cozy yet spacious at the same time, he could understand why Tomoyo wanted to come back, other than the fact her whole family was there. Speaking of the family, Eriol noted the number of plates around the table, and so did Tomoyo.

"Great, Mother set one for Touya. But I guess you'll have to fill his shoes today, Eriol."

"Touya?" Eriol inquired as he obeyed and sat down in the seat.

"Sakura's brother," said Tomoyo, pouring some water for her guest. "Here."

"Thank you – wait, where _is_ this Sakura? I've been wanting to…meet her."

Tomoyo's smile faltered. "Uh, I don't think she's in right now," she said. "But I'll have a look. Maybe she's helping my mother in the kitchen – er, just sit here and relax, alright? Be back in a minute!"

_If Sakura looked like Princess Aishi, then…_ he smirked. "Hmph, a pity that I've taken a liking to Princess Aishi."

- -

Meiling was riding on her prized horse around the trimmed bushes behind the front gates of the Kinomoto castle. Her twelve followers stood protected under the shade of a nearby tree. All thirteen of them were finally without their capes and they had on normal clothing – normal, that is, in the Li kingdom.

"C'mon, Da Lang," she patted the horse's strong, muscular neck. She had named him after Syaoran, or Xiao Lang, whose name meant "little wolf." Da Lang would be the "big wolf."

"-it's for the wedding!" an angry voice caught her attention. It was coming from the side gate.

"Let's go, boy," she told her horse and pulled it in that direction.

"Sorry, but I can't let you pass," Meiling saw one of the guards say. The tone was rather disgusting and much too proud. _Stuck-up_, she frowned as she jumped off Da Lang. "Stay," she whispered before tiptoeing towards the gate.

"The stuff is _ordered_," said a man who looked to be in his twenties. His shirt was practically all wet from sweat; he must have journeyed from somewhere far. The dirt marks on his face didn't smudge his handsome features. Meiling was much more interested now.

"We didn't order them," said the soldier, jerking his head at the sacks on a wagon pulled by two oxen.

"Of course _you_ didn't," the man scoffed. "Some higher-up probably –"

"Would kill you, but I will –"

"Let him through," Meiling banged at the gate.

"Lady Meiling!"

"Thought I'd join in with your completing-the-sentence game," she said. "Well? Are you going to do it? Because if you don't, I _will._"

"But –"

"Hmm?" Meiling glared at him.

"H-he needs some form of authorization…"

"I have an order form," the man said, taking out a piece of paper. He pulled it closer to his face, as if he was reading it, and let out a faked gasp. "Ah, and it is signed by the king himself."

The soldier was speechless. His mate shoved him out of the way and unlocked the gate.

"Thanks," the man murmured, leading his oxen and wagon in.

"Frankly I didn't do much," Meiling twisted one of her pigtails.

"Can't believe they'd keep the keys that unlock the gate on them, though," he said. "It makes life easier for criminals."

"I kind of barged in that way," said Meiling, reminiscing a fine moment, "taking keys and all."

"Really?" he asked. "They seemed to have respected you. Called you, uh, Lady –?"

"Meiling," she said. "What's your name?"

"Touya. Kinomoto Touya."

"Kinomoto? Are you related to the king?"

"No," he laughed, though his laughter quickly died away, as if he remembered something. "No…you see, the people who desire to claim the last name can claim it. I took it because my mother wanted to. It's – complicated."

"Ah…"

"That's a beautiful horse," Touya said, smiling at the approaching Da Lang.

"It's mine," Meiling grabbed its rein with pride.

"Sorry to intrude, but how are _you_ related to the king? Your clothes look foreign."

"My whole body is foreign," Meiling giggled. "I'm from Li. I'm the cousin of the groom."

"Groom and gloom…"

"It seemed to be that way at first," she said. "But now he's really happy!"

"All this food should make him happier," Touya said. "If my baby sister was getting married…"

"Speak of the devil! That's the prince _and_ the princess," Meiling exclaimed, pointing at the two people not far from them. One of them, the boy, was talking. He had chestnut hair and amber eyes. The other, the princess – Touya's jaw dropped. She wasn't wearing her hat.

"Of course," he whispered. They were _in_ the castle grounds.

"What?" Meiling asked; she obviously didn't know about the hat.

"Nothing," he shook his head. Touya took a good look at the princess: short auburn hair, peachy skin, and emerald eyes. She really was beautiful.

…_Wait…_

"Sakura? _Sakura!_"

"Hoe?" Sakura froze at the cry of her name. And that voice, it was so familiar. She squinted her eyes at the man beside Meiling. Her breathing stopped. "Touya?"

Syaoran gripped his sword. "Sakura, who is he?"

"My brother…!"

- -

Fujitaka liked to listen to music while he worked. The louder it was, the easier he could concentrate. It seems that once the volume reached a certain point, though loud, it is quiet, dead quiet. He had working more than usual that month; the last thing he would want on his daughter's wedding day was an unsigned treaty.

"Sir? Sir!" his trusted advisor broke in. He rushed to the music and turned down the volume. "Your Majesty!"

"What is it, Gerard?" Fujitaka asked in his urgent yet calm voice. He knew Gerard; if there wasn't something big, he wouldn't barge in like that.

"Down in the front! Someone is trying to attack the princess!"

Fujitaka jumped up. He marched towards his door, suddenly hating the large size of his office. Followed closely by Gerard, the worried father ran down the steps and halls, his mind filled with one thing – protect Aishi. They saw a soldier with a horse walking in their direction and Fujitaka quickened his sprint. He took the horse from the shocked soldier and jumped on. "Gerard, gather some more guards!" he called without looking back.

After a short while, Fujitaka was able to see a crowd near the gates. He stopped the horse and got off; in the next twenty seconds, he'd never ran faster in his life.

"Aishi!" his voice boomed and broke the soldiers apart. He saw his daughter safe behind Prince Li, who had his sword out, and let loose a huge sigh of relief. "Step aside," he ordered the castle guards. "Let me see the dangerous man."

"Father! He wasn't trying to hurt me!" he heard the princess' cries on his right; it seemed as though his ears had stopped working – there was the saying of blinded by rage, but deafened by it? All the noises around him turned foggy as he walked up to the man.

_No…_

"Your Majesty! What are we to do with him?"

"…Aishi," the king whispered, his eyes glued to the young man in front of him. "You said –"

"Aishi?" he heard the boy repeat to himself with utmost confusion.

"-he didn't try and hurt you?"

"No! Never! Father, let him go."

"Very well," Fujitaka said.

"But, Your Majesty!"

"_Do it._"

The guard nodded at the men who were holding him down. In the back, some soldiers were busy taking the sacks of food off the wagon. After they were loaded off, the guard pulled the oxen, leading them to the gates; the livestock left quieter than the boy did – when he was dragged out, he shouted. He shouted so loud –

"_Sakura!_"

– The name echoed for a countless number of times inside Fujitaka…He turned around to face the daughter he thought he knew. She looked back at him, the bright emerald eyes brimming with fearful and worried tears – the orchestra of nothingness began to play.

"…Sa…kura?" For the second time in his life, after seventeen years, the name had escaped his mouth.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:**Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

His brows furrowed. There was still no sign of Sakura even after the dessert. Eriol excused himself once the table was cleared and stepped outside to walk around the neighborhood. It was peaceful, but the silence was interrupted by the occasional bark of a dog. No kids were playing outside; before he left the Daidouji house, Tomoyo's little siblings were ordered to go take their naps. He tried remembering the days he had to do that; he only found empty memories. The temperature was shooting up and there was no shade as the Sun was right overhead. Wishing he had worn less, Eriol began to turn back – Tomoyo had mentioned watermelons. However, a half-shut door grabbed his attention.

Uncle John's Craft Shop.

The sign said "Open," and Eriol's frown deepened as a breath of cool air blew into his face from the gap. Snooping _probably_ wouldn't hurt; he walked in, and a feeling told him not to ask for assistance when he saw the empty counter. He brushed his finger over the top to check for dust. A click of a turning handle froze him. _I need to hide,_ he thought. As he heard the second-floor door creak open, Eriol ducked and hid behind the counter. The person went down the stairs and his steps grew louder. He was coming closer.

"Is this it?" the person asked. It wasn't a he, it was a woman. Her voice struck Eriol as awfully familiar. _Princess Aishi?_

"Yeah, that's the one," another person answered from upstairs. This was a man – he sounded nothing like Syaoran.

"'Kay," the woman replied, and Eriol heard her go back up. He peeked at the stairs. Princess Aishi was climbing the steps with a wrapped object in her hands. She was wearing a different dress from that morning, but it was glamorous and expensive nonetheless. _The great princess of Kinomoto sneaking off to meet a man other than her fiancé_, Eriol glowered as he stood up. There was only one thing left to do: go back to the castle and warn Syaoran.

He adjusted his glasses after exiting the shop and started for the Daidouji house, hoping that the two soldiers had returned from their "tour."

For a moment Eriol thought he took a wrong turn, but then he caught sight of Tomoyo. She was standing beside two large carriages. "What is going on?" he muttered and picked up his pace.

"You're back," said Tomoyo, rushing up to him. She looked worried. "The king is here."

"King Fujitaka? Why?" Eriol looked at the carriages. "He needs two of these -?"

Tomoyo shook her head as they made their way into the house. Eriol was amazed when he saw Princess Aishi and Syaoran there as well. What puzzled him more was the attire of the princess. _It couldn't be…_ His eyes widened as he realized that the "princess" he saw minutes ago wasn't wearing the hat like this one. _Then…_

"Tomoyo! Where's all this noise coming from?" Sonomi cried as she came out of the kitchen. "You know the kids are sleep –"

"Sonomi."

Everyone was shocked; it was the king who addressed her. Eriol began to think that the current situation was far more complicated than a murder-and-swap.

"…Y-your Majesty," Sonomi whispered and gave a little bow with her head. "Prince," she noted Syaoran and turned to the princess. "Your…Highness."

Tomoyo went to stand by her mother's side. Sonomi waved her arms around and smiled. "Please, sit down. Tomoyo, dear, get them something to drink, and – uh – god, I don't mean to be rude, but," she faced Fujitaka, who had not taken a seat, "_Why_ are you all here? I mean, it certainly is an honor –"

"Sonomi, where is Sakura?"

At the mention of her name, Sakura almost missed the stool as she sat down. The king barely said a word after Touya was carried out; he just asked them to get in a carriage. He had boarded a separate one, and she was stunned that they were heading to her town – her house.

"Sa – why –"

"She's at that crafts shop," Eriol said all of a sudden. "I saw her when I was out on my walk."

"But you've never met her," Tomoyo said. Sakura held her breath.

"It's possible that I might have."

Fujitaka took a step towards the door. "Is the shop still down the street in the corner?"

Sonomi crossed her arms and sighed. "Yes, it is."

Sakura felt dizzy. How could the king know about Uncle John's Crafts Shop? _Mom used to take me there,_ she thought. She followed Fujitaka out the door, but kept her distance. She knew that the questions zooming in her mind at the moment would soon be answered; there was no need to speak to him yet. Ever since the king kicked her brother out without investigating, he seemed distant. There was no doubt that he was connected to Nadeshiko. How, though? How was it possible…

She looked up. There it was, the little wooden sign with rusted steel edges. Uncle John was always talking about fixing it, how he would replace it with a bigger one, yet he never got to it. He was either too busy adding the final touches to a girl's doll or starting on a new table. Why the town required so many tables, Sakura never understood; she didn't mind the old sign anyway – her doll was in constant need of repair.

"Hello, is anyone in here?" Gerard walked in and called.

"Sakura, take off your hat," Fujitaka ordered, causing her to jump.

"Um…" Sakura stepped back a little. She heard Sonomi gasp somewhere behind her.

Fujitaka turned to her with a gentle smile. "It's alright, I'm sure everyone here knows.

"But Your Majesty," Gerard objected. "We can't just – she is –"

"Sonomi is family."

Her aunt let out a scoff. Sakura looked back at her as she removed the hat. Sonomi merely sighed. When a door on the second floor flung open, she whirled around.

"Robert, is that – oh…" It was Aishi.

"Your Majesty…!" Gerard stared from Aishi to Fujitaka with a terrified expression. "Could she be?"

"Gerard, I wish you to keep Sir Eriol and Miss Daidouji company while Sakura, Prince Li, Sonomi and I join Aishi up there in that room," said Fujitaka. "There will be a lot of explaining to do."

- -

_With a fresh batch of fallen cherry blossoms in a basket, Sonomi burst through the beaded curtains. She flicked a petal off her shoulder and plopped down beside her cousin. Nadeshiko grabbed a handful of flowers and threw it up in the air. _

"_Sonomi, aren't they just the prettiest things in the whole world?" she watched them fall gracefully onto the cushions around them._

"_Yeah," Sonomi shook her head, smiling. "But it's always so hard to clean them up."_

"_I'll help!"_

"_The last time you did, you broke the lamp. It's fine."_

"_Well, Uncle John will fix it. We only get to collect these during the Sakura season."_

"_If only they have a cherry blossom that will last for years," Sonomi buried her face in a cushion. _

"_You," __N__adeshiko began, taking the cushion from under Sonomi, "might just get your wish."_

_Sonomi sat up. "Huh?"_

"_Remember how I used to say I'm going to name my child Sakura?" Nadeshiko asked as she clasped her hands together, eyes twinkling. "Sonomi, I'm pregnant."_

_-_

"_What! Again?" her astonished cousin cried._

_Nadeshiko nodded and laughed. "Sonomi, it's been _seven_ years since Touya was born."_

"_W-who is – the dad can't be – _no_, again?"_

"_Were you hoping for a different one?" Nadeshiko exclaimed, putting a hand over her lower stomach._

"_He was never there for Touya or you, Nadeshiko."_

"_He has his duties," said Nadeshiko. She sat down with a bag of water held against her cheek to keep cool. "This time he promised that it's going to be different. And Touya's a big boy."_

"_Nadeshiko…"_

"_I want this child to grow up with a father next to it…"_

_She placed a hand on the window and gazed at the four cherry blossom trees outside. Next spring, a beautiful child would be born right here. May her first sight be the enchanting speckles of pink…_

_-_

_The thunder roared as Sonomi glared at the midwife with fear. "_Twins?_"_

"_Yes, _twins_," said the midwife, throwing the bloody towel away. "Both girls. Healthy. The mom is fine as well."_

"_Can I see her?" Sonomi asked. The midwife shrugged and grabbed her things. Once Sonomi had paid the midwife, she went into the little room that she had been pacing back and forth outside of. Nadeshiko was holding the tiny hand of one of her daughters, looking fatigued but happy on the bed. "How are you feeling?"_

"_Complete," she whispered and smiled at Sonomi._

"_They are angels!" Sonomi squealed and squatted at the side._

"_Of all days to rain," Nadeshiko cringed at the flash of lightning. "You can't even see the cherry blossoms."_

"_The girls can't open their eyes yet. Don't worry."_

"_What if the rain washes the flowers away?"_

"_Then – oh, Nadeshiko, forget it. And what are you going to name them?"_

_Nadeshiko sighed. "This one is Sakura," she said, pointing at the one on the left. Her crying wasn't as loud as her twin sister's. "And this one…"_

- -

"…A year after that, I was crowned king. It was an unexpected change," said Fujitaka. The room was silent; they waited for him to continue. Sakura and Syaoran were sitting on the bed. She's never been on the second floor of the shop, but she assumed that they were in Robert's room. It was clean and there were just a few pieces of furniture. It didn't look like anyone had lived in it. In the corner next to the door was a big sack, and Aishi was leaning against the wall next to it. Her eyes constantly shifted from her father, who stood in the center, to Sakura.

"Even if it didn't happen, I'm sure you wouldn't have taken them to the castle anyway," Sonomi said from next to the window.

Fujitaka gave a small smile. "It's hard to say…"

Twins. Sakura felt dizzy again. She used to day dream about being different, being more than what she thought she was. _She_ was a princess. She didn't switch from a commoner to a princess, she _was_ the real deal. She just never knew for her whole life; and she has a twin sister, whom she had spent her first year on Earth with. "Why?" her dry lips parted. "Why…did you separate us?"

- -

"_King," muttered Nadeshiko after she read the scroll. She let out a shaky laugh and stared at him. "_King_ Fujitaka."_

"_Nadeshiko, I –"_

"_It says here that you can't marry a commoner…"_

"_You are not common."_

"_It's the law," she whispered._

"_Once I ascend the throne, I," he stopped as Nadeshiko held his hand._

"_You _know_ it's not right to change the law for yourself," she stroked his hair and smiled._

"_I'm sorry…"_

_Nadeshiko shook her head. "Will you just do me a favor?"_

_Fujitaka hesitated for a second but nodded. "What is it?"_

"_Take one of my daughters with you – _our_ daughters."_

"_Na –"_

"Please_. I'm trying to make this the lightest burden I can bestow upon you. I've caused enough trouble for Sonomi…I thought I'd be able to save her some…I…"_

"_But to tear the twins apart?"_

"_It's not forever. Maybe I'll take the other and reunite with you one day –"_

- -

"She never did," Sonomi said, her eyes on the king. "She died four years after that."

"It doesn't matter," Aishi stepped forward. "My own mother didn't want me."

"Aishi, that's not true," said Fujitaka. "_I_ chose to take you."

"Why's that?"

"Because of your name. Nadeshiko never planned on having twins," Sonomi spoke up. "She told me that the king chose you to leave Sakura by her side. She'd always wanted to name her daughter Sakura."

"So…I was an extra."

"I-it was by chance that Nadeshiko named you Aishi and her Sakura. She wanted at least one of you to grow up in a wonderful surrounding, pampered and adored by those in the castle."

The remaining conversation was blocked out of Sakura's ears. It was all chance. If her mother had pointed to Aishi and named _her_ Sakura, then she would've stayed with Mom. Sakura would be Aishi and raised in the castle. Would she have asked Aishi to join her if she saw her on the trip to the town? Would she have bothered to get to know Syaoran, her true fiancé? Or would Aishi end up being the one to fall in love with him? She looked at the prince, who caught her eye and smiled.

"Princess Sakura," he said, chortling.

The others fell silent and Syaoran raised an eyebrow. Aishi laughed. "Father," she said, tugging at Fujitaka's sleeve. "Shouldn't you send the order to crown Sakura?"

He smiled. "It's time, isn't it?" he walked towards the door. "Why don't you two talk for a while? You can tell me why you two switched places later. Sonomi, Prince Li, shall we?"

Sonomi hugged the two of them before getting out. Syaoran gave Sakura's hand a squeeze and followed. Confused as she was about the sudden change in atmosphere, Sakura was glad; the room brightened up. Years of misunderstandings and secrecy were thrown out the window. Hopefully they won't fall on top of a passing pedestrian.

Aishi sat down next to her. "I, uh…"

"You didn't seem too shocked when it was revealed that we were twins."

"That's because I overheard your aunt talking to a picture of your…er, my – no, our mom."

Sakura giggled. "She does that."

"Since you'll be a princess soon, you can marry Prince Li."

"Sh-Shaoran and I – we…" Sakura blushed and looked away.

"I never got to call him that."

"T-that is – _hey_, when are you coming back?" Sakura asked.

Aishi smile disappeared. "About that," she stood up and walked to the chest of drawers against the opposite wall. "I-uh, have something for you."

"What is it?" Sakura straightened up a bit.

Her twin was opening the drawer on the top right when Robert climbed in through the window, startling both of them. His eyes became unfocused and confused as he saw the two identical women.

"Robert, why did you use the ladder to come into your own room?" Aishi asked, looking worried yet amused. She took her hands off the drawer and headed in his direction. Robert, however, ran to Sakura and stretched his arms out to act as a shield.

Sakura gaped at his back. "Um –"

"R-Robert…?"

"Stay where you are, witch," he hissed while a hand reached his back pocket. "How dare you take the form of Aishi?"

Sakura gasped with terror as she watched him pull a dagger out. The man was not in his right mind.

"I don't understand," Aishi stammered, frozen on the spot. "_I'm_ Aishi; she's Sakura, remember?"

He laughed. "Two people can't look the same. You _have_ to be a witch."

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Aishi; her voice shook. Sakura wanted to get up but Aishi made a warning face. Robert didn't say or move for a while. Aishi slowly approached him. Sakura glanced at the door as she heard someone coming up the stairs. It opened and at the moment Syaoran poked his head in she heard a stabbing noise. A swooping coldness grasped her stomach as her emerald eyes returned to the two in front of her. Robert let out a scream when he saw Syaoran. He dashed to the window and jumped out; the awful scene of Aishi leaping out the window from the princess' room weeks ago replayed in her head.

Drops of blood dripped on to the dusty wooden floor. Sakura darted to Aishi, who was clutching her abdomen in pain. "_No,_" Sakura cried, squatting down to lend her shoulder for Aishi to lean on. She looked to Syaoran, now by the window pane, ready to dive out himself. "Shaoran, go get help, we have to save her!"

"What about that…that crazy man?" he asked as he bent down to check Aishi's wound. "Never mind, you're right. I'll go down."

"Wait," Sakura said. "I'm going to carry her down with me. She'll get more fresh air that way."

"…D-don't," Aishi whispered feebly. She clung on to Sakura. "Not without…my g-gift…"

Sakura laid her sister by the drawers and got up to fetch a wrapped bundle.

"Here, I have it," she touched her hand. "Let's go…Shaoran?"

He was standing by the door, pale in the face. If the man had changed his mind and stabbed Sakura instead…

"Shaoran!" she called as she hoisted Aishi up by the waist. He shut his eyes and nodded before charging out. The two were at the door when Tomoyo raced up to Sakura to help carry Aishi down. Fujitaka was nowhere to be found – Eriol claimed her father had gone out to send troops after Robert. The absent tears made their grand entrance to the world, rolling down her cheek. Did the king not care about the condition of his daughter?

Uncle John was back now, muttering about Robert forgetting to take his medicine. He urged them to set Aishi down in the bed in the room behind the counter. Sonomi went to get the medicine supplies while Sakura and Tomoyo huddled at the side of Aishi. Had she known about Robert's illness? Sakura couldn't help but wonder. She even doubted that Aishi had known anything about him at all. With one hand rubbing the tears away and the other dabbing the sweat off of Aishi's forehead, she heard herself mumble comforts that were more directed at herself rather than Aishi.

"I'll get some water for her," Tomoyo said.

"Thanks…" Sakura whispered.

Aishi coughed and reached for the bundle. "I asked…him…to make this…gift f-for you…"

"_He_ made this?" Sakura asked, appalled and angry.

"T-That was the plan," Aishi laughed softly. "But I made it…in the end…"

"Oh," said Sakura, feeling better. "What is it?"

She watched the red mass on her sister's stomach and the tears returned. "You have to hang in there."

Aishi shook her head. "O-open it…"

"Not until you get well."

"Sa-kura…s-stubborn…" Aishi closed her eyes. "Just o…"

"Ai-Aishi? …_Aishi?_"

She wiped the teardrops off her cheeks and unwrapped the gift. "See, Aishi? I'm opening it! Aishi, look…"

It was a cup with a pair of carved blossoms on the side. The quality wasn't great, but the flowers looked exactly the same. Sakura let the tears fall once again. Fujitaka stormed in, glasses askew. Behind him came Gerard with a scroll in his hands.

"Your Majesty, shall I–?"

Fujitaka turned around. "Do it."

Sakura sniffed and looked up. Gerard unrolled the scroll and cleared his throat.

"By order of His Majesty, the king of Kinomoto, Kinomoto Sakura is, from today onwards, crowned Princess of the land –"

He paused; Sakura couldn't hold back any longer. She sobbed.

"–w-with…Princess Aishi."

Nothing was fair, was it?


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Card Captor Sakura belongs to CLAMP.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"There used to be a row of cherry blossom trees right there," Fujitaka said, indicating the spot where a few houses stood. "Four of them, to be exact. Beyond them is the castle. You can't really see it now."

Sakura closed her eyes and imagined. Her mother must have stood in her place years before, looking out the kitchen window at a sea of gentle pink. It was beautiful; Sakura knew it deep in her heart. She turned to her father and smiled. He returned a small grin as she handed him a dripping plate for him to dry. The King of Kinomoto was washing dishes in the Daidouji House. Sakura sighed. The lunch she just had would be the last meal she would be having at her Aunt Sonomi's for a long time. Back at the dining table, Syaoran and Touya were probably still glaring at each other.

"Sakura," her father whispered while putting away a bowl. "I'm sorry you couldn't spend more time with your sister."

A knot tied itself in her throat. She had tried everything in the past weeks to take her mind off of Aishi's death. Nobody brought it up either, not even Syaoran. But in time, Sakura understood she would have to face the fact. She wondered if the feeling could be washed away by running water like washing off the sauce on the fork she was holding – the feeling not of pain but of shock.

"I'm sorry too," she watched the water splatter in the sink. "And I'm sorry we lied to you."

Fujitaka ruffled her hair. "You know, we should stop all this apologizing," he said. "Let's go back in."

"Father," Sakura stopped at the door. "Can Aunt Sonomi and the others come to the wedding?"

"I don't see why not," he replied, smiling.

For the first time in days, she felt relieved. Soon, the prince sitting across from her brother wouldn't be the same person anymore; soon, he would be her husband.

- -

It was the strangest thing. A week ago, the original wedding plans were cancelled; Queen Yelan didn't want the wedding to be held in They only had seven days for set-up and preparation of the traditional Li marriage, and apparently the queen pulled it off. Rumors said that it seemed just as good as the wedding would have been if it was held in the bride's kingdom. And now, Sakura was on the way to Li in a palanquin. Her dress was red with golden embroidery on it, and she had a matching piece of silk cloth covering her face. It was not to be removed until the bride and the groom were alone in their room. She thought it was funny, how she still had to hide her face.

Sakura lifted the cloth up; it was placed upon a large crown on her head. _That_ was also a part of her wedding gown. She peeked out the window and saw a dozen people in front of her palanquin. They each had an instrument in their hands. Behind her were a bunch of girls who were holding baskets of confetti. None of that would be used until they'd reached the Li Kingdom, Sakura guessed. Tomoyo's carriage was nowhere to be found; there was no way she could see her fathers – it left before Tomoyo's. She did, however, see Meiling and her followers. She wondered if they were feeling hot. The sun was beaming down on them and their capes were black.

"Princess Sakura," said the guard that was riding on a horse beside her palanquin. "We are you in the land of Li now. Soon we will reach the capital, and from there we will head for the castle."

Sakura was so startled by the sudden conversation that she drew her head back in and the curtains down. Moments later, she regretted it. What she had done to the guard was like slamming the door in his face.

Still, she was in the Li Kingdom already. She should be praying for good luck. If she fell while walking, and that is very possible because of the cloth…

She yelped. The horns and trumpets were being blown; colorful confetti flew in through the window. Her heartbeat increased as she pulled the cover down. All she could see were her hands, her lap, her feet, and the floor. Sakura took a deep breath and looked straight ahead at the redness hiding her face. The palanquin stopped moving and was put down on to the floor. Footsteps approached; the veil was lifted, her surroundings brightened, and a gust of wind blew by with the sounds of cheering and applause. _This is it._

- -

"Silence, please," a sharp voice commanded. It did sound happy, though. "Wei, you may proceed."

"As you wish, my Queen," the man called Wei said. After a brief speech of gratitude, he cleared his throat. "Prince Li and Princess Sakura, if you would step up."

Sakura looked up at the floor on the right side. Syaoran's feet began to move forward; she imitated him and stopped as he did after five steps.

"The groom and the bride," Wei announced, "Are to bow to the Heavens and the Earth."

She watched Syaoran kneel and followed. They both leaned forward and she felt her forehead touch the floor.

"Next," Wei continued as the two got up. "They are to bow to their elders."

Sakura was about to repeat the process when she felt Syaoran's warm hand grab her wrist. They moved to the left. She caught a glimpse of her father's shoes as she went to pay her respects. The "elders" must have meant their parents.

"Thirdly," said Wei while Syaoran pulled Sakura back to where she thought they stood at first. "They are to bow to each other, and by doing so, they will be bound as two equals. Together, they will go through whatever comes their way."

The crowd started clapping. Syaoran turned Sakura so that they were facing each other. He stepped away to create some space between them. Sakura found herself drawn to the ground and kneeled down; she knew her movements were simultaneous with Syaoran's even though she could not see any part of him. Once her forehead came in contact with the floor, she would be married to Li Syaoran; a new life was ready to begin.

- -

The Li castle was not much of a palace. It was more of a large manor – a very large one. There were three sections. The front was for the King mostly, and politics. The building was two stories high; it was the second tallest in the place. The tallest was the tower in the middle section, which was for daily activities. Sometimes the king would invite his guests there to the little lake. All those who lived there stayed at the back, newlyweds included.

"It's here!" she whispered.

Five figures, two of them tiptoeing, went down the hall. They left the dinner; behind them laughter and shouts for more food ensued. It was nightfall – the sun had set and the temperature had cooled down. The conditions were perfect for them.

"Come! And keep quiet," she said again, pressing a finger to her lips. They made a turn and a room stood before them. It was the only room around, perfect for a husband and wife.

"I apologize for my wife," King Li said to Fujitaka.

Queen Yelan narrowed her eyes. "If you're not going to help then don't speak a word."

"This is so exciting," Tomoyo giggled.

"That's the spirit," said Yelan. "Now, come on, Miss Daidouji."

Eriol sighed. The three men stayed behind and watched the two women creep up to the door. He'd never seen the queen act like that before. "Your Majesty," he looked at King Li. "Is this alright?"

"No," he rubbed his temples. "But in trivial matters I have no say."

Fujitaka chuckled. "I just hope they don't go overboard."

"It's our job to assure that, I think," King Li said. "Eriol, go closer. If the situation goes bad, you come to us and report."

"Sounds reasonable," Eriol muttered, pushing his glasses up. He walked up and kept ten feet between the girls and him.

"I feel kind of guilty doing this," Yelan squatted down by the door. "But a mother's got to watch over her son."

Tomoyo suppressed a giggle. "If they find out that we're spying on them on their wedding night, Sakura would blush so hard!"

"They'd both turn as red as tomatoes."

"You know, you'd want to keep it down," Eriol whispered just as they began laughing. "I can hear you all the way from here."

Yelan covered her mouth and nodded. Eriol shook his head. _Never meet a queen on her son's wedding night._

"I hope Xiao Lang's gentle with her," she said with a smirk. Tomoyo chortled.

"Your _Majesty!_"

"Well, I'm not young anymore," she said, getting up to take a peek into the room. "Grandchildren would be great –"

"What is it?" Tomoyo asked.

"No one is in there. Wha – they're not…"

Tomoyo jumped up and looked in the hole. "I don't see anyone either…why _is _that?"

"They've eloped," Eriol stated simply. Yelan and Tomoyo gasped.

"They _can't _have," Yelan cried, sounding furious. "How dare you say that?"

"Where do you think they went, King Fujitaka?" questioned the king of Li with an amused expression on his face. Yelan had stormed into the room and was turning it upside down.

"I don't know, but it should be a safe place," he replied and King Li laughed.

"I should go calm her down. Excuse me."

Fujitaka nodded. He smiled at the four in front of him and looked up at the dark sky. _Sakura…_

- -

"Are you cold?" Syaoran asked. They walked through the ankle-high grass; thousands of stars twinkled overhead.

"N-No," Sakura whispered. She looked around. "It's a little bit spooky though…"

Syaoran smiled. He wasn't sure if she could see it though. "Sakura, stay close to me."

"I – hoe!"

"Sakura?"

"I-It's okay," she said as she reached for Syaoran's hand. "Only a rock."

"Why are we whispering? There's no one here –"

Sakura stopped and whimpered. "There are a lot of…people here."

Syaoran wrapped an arm around her. "It's a graveyard," he said. "But I'm here with you."

"I'm sorry I dragged you out."

"It's fine. My mother would probably spy on us if we stayed."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he rested his chin on the top of her head. They went on walking, stopping every once in a while to check the tomb stones. Accompanying them were the rustling of the grass, croaking of the frogs, and chirping of the crickets. "Beautiful night," he gazed up. "I wonder if we can see a shooting star."

"I'd like that," Sakura smiled a little. She stopped again in front of two white marble tomb stones. They would sparkle under the sun, just like Sakura's tears the first time she visited them.

"Do you think these two would've liked it?" Syaoran squeezed her shoulder.

"I think they would've liked a lot of things," Sakura kneeled down and caressed the names – Kinomoto Nadeshiko and Kinomoto Aishi.

"Did they ever catch that man?"

"Who cares? Let him run."

Syaoran sighed and kneeled beside her. "She is also an in-law of mine."

"We are to bow to our elders…"

For the forth time, their heads kissed the earth. Sakura didn't want to get up. She stayed there, her forehead pressed against the cool bed of grass. It was nice, just kneeling there and being close to the remains of her loved ones. She felt peaceful.

"Now that we've finally finished bowing," Syaoran cleared his throat and reached in his coat. "Let's get married."

This made Sakura sit up. She tilted her head as he pulled out a pair of small teacups out along with a bottle of wine. "But we just _got_ married."

"Yes, but we still have to do something. Hold this –"

He handed her one of the cups and poured the liquor into it. "I hope you're a good drinker."

Sakura brought the cup to her lips but Syaoran told her to wait.

"May your mother, your sister, and every soul that resides near bear witness to _us,_" he said and locked his arm around hers. His cup, though, still faced him and vice versa.

Sakura grinned.

"Let's drink."

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**Note:** Well, it's over! And they lived happily ever after, haha. I think this was pretty okay for a story I started when I was twelve. I hope you enjoyed it! Also, the wedding. I based it on the traditional Chinese wedding, and all they really do is kowtow and then some other stuff. The last part of Wei's thing, when Sakura and Syaoran bowed to each other, was something I added. In addition, the very last scene with the drinking and the arms locking together, that too is a part of a traditional Chinese wedding. :) Syaoran _is_ from Hong Kong after all.

Thanks to all my great reviewers! Many of you stuck with me :) And special thanks to my sister, because she's the one who had to pick out my ridiculously silly mistakes and typos.

Today is July 13th, the date of the wedding. Till death (and beyond) does S+S part!


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